Community Supported Agriculture... Who knew?

Oh, the invaluable things I learn from my friend Emily. The most recent of these things: Community Supported Agriculture. When she was telling me about this last week I had never ever heard of it before. But guess what? Everyone should know.  The way CSA works is 1: buy a share in a local farm (or half a share, each setup is different), 2: wait for the food to grow, and 3: pick up your box fresh, local, and many times organic food from this farm once a week during growing season. Some of these farms offer even more than just veggies, like meat, eggs, fresh flowers, hay, and compost. I'm so excited to get involved with a CSA farm when we move. Check out the Local Harvest website to do a search for a nearby CSA farm. Way cool. I owe the reality of all my local slow food dreams to you, Em.

We're moving... to WA!

Image by Steve G. Bisig

I'm extremely excited to say that there is an extraordinarily full phase of life swiftly approaching. At the end of July, we'll be moving the family to the Pacific Northwest (my first love) and taking root. The reason we're moving is this: we're going to be involved with Whitewater Church, a church plant (new church) in the preparation to continue our church planting (starting a new church) calling. I'd tell you all about it here, but there's no reason. John and I will be keeping a blog specifically about our planting adventures, so if you're interested in finding out more, that's the place to start. Find it yonder.

Etsy Shop

Well, it's official.  I have an Etsy shop.  :)  Yay!  Visit the shop.

First Sale... and Other News

There it is. My first official sale, ready to be wrapped up and sent away to it's new owner. This sale, which happened quite out of the blue at a coffee shop while John and I were in Chicago last week (news about Chicago to follow soon), has inspired me to grow my love of sewing into an (ideally) thriving and profitable home business. Starting within a few days, my handy-dandy and earth friendly little coffee sleeves will be available for purchase at the Wired Bean, a local coffee shop... more selling locations to follow. :) Also, as soon as I decide on a name (my first choice was already registered as a username, drat!) and get myself branded, I'll be up on Etsy. Yay! Progress is good. 

Parasol Issue 6 has Arrived!

Issue six of Parasol magazine is out online. :)  I especially love the mobiles by Royal Buffet. Check it out and download it for FREE here.

With Christmas Came Happy Things

Happy things like a wine rack and cookie cutters from my parents and an assortment of beautiful vintage stemware from my aunt. I'm loved... and those who love me know me well. Like my fantastic husband, who gave me Julie & Julia... because he was supposed to take me to see it in theaters but forgot. And when it came out on DVD and we finally had a movie night, he rented Inglourious Basterds. Which was fine. Because now I can watch Julie & Julia whenever I want. Thank you, my love.

Toile Jumper

I made this dress last week for my niece and realized as I was starting it that the last time I made a jumper I did it the long way. Not just the long way, but the difficult, tedious, and ineffective way. The way, as my 3 year old Corbin would put it, that was "not better." Apparently the right way to make this little number requires only three seams, two hems, and some buttons. I'm amazed at how I realize better ways to do things nearly every time I sew. Silly as I feel to admit how painfully wrong and slow I was doing things before, learning the right ways makes me feel like a bigger, stronger, and faster sewer. :) And I realize that natural light becomes photographs of things like this, however, the window of daylight now is far too small for me to always remember to take my photos. Because I'm a distracted person. Come soon, summer.

LMNOP and Kiwi

I love magazines. I especially love magazines that I can read without wasting gobs of paper and cluttering my house. I even more especially love reading magazines that are free. My favorite magazines have, in recent years, morphed from fashion magazines to those directed toward families and parents. Even better if they have a focus on living simply and being environmentally responsible (but really, what magazine doesn't lately?) LMNOP is a way cool free online magazine that is just... happy. You can subscribe and they'll send you an email notification when the next issue is published online. Latest issue is out today, by the way. Kiwi is a print magazine that is also way cool and always read immediately at my house. It's about, as they say, "Growing families the natural and organic way." This magazine isn't usually free, but it is if you sign up for Moms Meet! Woohoo for free magazines that are awesome! Also, you can find a free download of the magazine from Kiwi's main site here.

Wild Things Paper Toys

With what kind of paper dolls does my 3 year old boy play? Wild ones. Wild Things, that is. He's adopted Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak as his new favorite book (thank you Auntie Lindsey), which makes me happy since it was also one of my favorite books as a kid. We have yet to see the movie made from the book, but I can't help but wonder HOW in the world is there a full length film based on this 10 sentence story? I'll find out soon enough, I'm sure. If your kid (or you!) are into this story, you should make these little paper guys. They do take a couple of minutes to cut out and fold together, (and tape, if you're me) but they're way cute. I made Max and the guy in the stripes for Corbin and we've already acted out the story with them. Great fun. And the site you find them at is... toy-a-day.blogspot.com

For more Wild Things fun, check out this place where I found the paper Things project.

Parking

Parks really are great. There are quite a few in this small town in which we live... and they're mostly really nice. There are some new exciting ones, but I think the parks I like best are the old parks. You know, the ones with the paint chipping off of the equipment, the metal slides that burn your skin as you go down them, and the swings with chains without plastic coating so they constantly grab your hair. Yes, I like those parks. They have so much character. They're simple and joyful. I can hardly imagine the vast amount of fun that has been had in them by children over the years. Corbin's favorite part of this trip was the bunch of daisies that he found. He picked some for me. He then proceeded to pick every last one and toss it into the water. It brought him great joy. I didn't feel bad about him destroying them for that very fact. Flowers are meant to bring joy. No one ever specified exactly how. Petra just enjoys hanging out in the wrap. It's one of her favorite spots to be.

I will miss summer when it is gone, and lately it seems as if though it is leaving quickly. The air is brisk and the foliage isn't as green as it used to be. The thought of winter here in this tundra... this frozen desert, as someone called it recently, makes my heart sink sometimes. It's just too cold... it seems to suck the life out of the living. We must simply enjoy the chances we have to be outside, to absorb our vitamin D. So we will go parking while we can... to all the parks... over and over again.

Also, I took photos of myself with my children because I have nearly none. I generally have the camera taking photos of them... and all of a sudden, there is a three year period of me missing from all photos. However, that DSLR is nearly impossible to take photos of oneself with by simply holding. Heavy. And yes, that's Petra chewing on the camera strap as I try to get a photo of her sweet self.

4 Months is my Favorite

I am so enjoying my little girl. Especially this month... 4 months is my very favorite age. She's so smiley and interactive. She giggles at me, which I must say is quite more like a squeak. She's got constantly sweaty feet and hands that get so sticky I'm fairly certain that if she had the coordination she could climb walls. Corbin still loves his baby sister. He gives her kisses on the head... NOT on the mouth. Apparently her kisses are much too slimy for him. :) He gives her hugs and talks to her. She watches everything he does. She likes to hang out in the Bumbo from Ben and Tasha (fantastic thing!) She's a sweetie. And yes, that's red hair. Weird. I hope it stays red!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies from Heaven

This is the best peanut butter chocolate chip recipe... ever. It turns out perfectly every time. Mmmmm. We go through a lot of milk when these are in the house. So... they're almost good for us, right? I say, if you're going to eat a cookie (or a half a dozen, we don't judge) it may as well be AMAZING.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C)
2) Cream together butter and brown sugar. Beat in eggs, peanut butter, and vanilla.
3) Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl, and add to wet mixture gradually. Stir in chocolate chips.
4) Roll into balls about 1 Tablespoon or use your trusty cookie scoop and place on to ungreased cookie sheets or parchment lined cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Flatten them slightly with a fork because they don't flatten much during baking.
5) Bake for 7-10 minutes, depending on how soft you like your cookies. :) Enjoy!

Summertime Means Sprinklers

In the middle of the day when it's hot outside, we turn on the sprinkler. Corbin loves it. Petra doesn't at all.

I Love it When the Mail Pile Looks Like This...