Wishing Star Designs

Sale in the shop!

I am having a big sale on my collages...call it The Economy is in the Toilet Sale. Take advantage and go visit the bluejayfly shop!

Hope everybody had a fantastic 4th of July!!

A little birdie just told me...

that she is available for "adoption" in the Wishing Star Designs shop!

She comes with her own nest, eats like a....well, um...bird, and solemnly swears she will never chirp between the hours of 9pm and 9am.  Won't you give her a home?

Two New Collages on Wood

in the bluejayfly shop now!

Daddy loves Jake and Jake loves Daddy...

Stephen sings him this little song "Daddy loves Jake and Jake loves Daddy..." with other various, made up on the spot verses that's cuteness just cannot be conveyed in blog format.

They are best buddies...

and I am so grateful they are mine!

Still Daddy's Little Girl

Happy Father's Day to all the Daddies out there. I thought about mine so much today...how I wish he could have been here for his first Father's Day as a grandpa, how much I see him in Jake, how much of him I see in myself, how I was and am...one lucky little girl.  I don't want to sound like I was sad all day....not really much at all. It was a happy day full of fun and swimming and celebrating Stephen's first Father's Day and I will write more about that next time.  I just wanted to take a minute to honor my Daddy and to do so I am going to share something extremely personal with you, the words I read at his memorial service.

"I feel very lucky to be the daughter of JD Noe. His name is something I take great pride in because he was a great man.  I feel lucky because I not only got a Dad who I could love…I got a dad who I liked, very much.  My daddy was the kind of person I would want to be friends with, even if we hadn’t been blood.  I think of that as a rare gift to treasure.

 I learned a lot of things from my Dad.  It’s from him that I learned to love nature. My Dad loved trees and flowers, woods and rivers, oceans and mountains and animals of all kinds…especially dogs.  From him I learned how to plant a garden, how to fish, how to find my way through the woods and how to just sit under the stars at night and appreciate the beauty of this world.

 It is from him that I learned independence.  He always let me make my mistakes without hovering over me and never judging me…he just offered support and love.  He taught me about love without conditions.

 He taught me to think for myself.  To not just blindly buy into what other people say or think, but to figure out what I thought and to stand up for those beliefs.  Sometimes he could be stubborn and he passed that trait along as well. But even if he sometimes came off gruff and unrelenting in his viewpoint…he really did listen and respected a difference in opinion and had the capacity to keep an open mind.

 My Dad was a good friend who would do just about anything for someone he cared about.  He taught me that friends are extended family and we have a responsibility to take care of each other.

 I have many wonderful memories of my Dad that will stay with me all of my life and I’d like to share a couple of those with you today.

 When I was very little, I used to be afraid of driving over train tracks. I’d cry and scream. So my Dad started a game. When we would go over the tracks, he’d bounce up in his seat and shout “BANGO!”, which would make me stop crying and laugh.  To this day I still yell BANGO when I drive over train tracks.

 Everytime I got sick as a kid, my dad would get me some sort of little present to cheer me up.  A plastic microphone and tambourine, a pinwheel, a coloring book…just something small to take my mind off of not feeling good.

 It’s the little things we do, I think, that stay with people most.  Seeing my Dad with a book in his hand all of the time encouraged my love of reading. Watching him experiment in the kitchen, concocting new recipes, encouraged my love of cooking.

 My Dad also gave me a love for music.  Growing up, there was always music playing in the house and a variety of styles of music in his record collection. It still surprises me that he liked Ike and Tina Turner.  But my favorite memories of my Dad are of him playing guitar.  Every time he played, he would sing this song called Salty Dog.  That is how I will end today, by playing a song that has a happy memory attached to it…a song that my dad loved and made him laugh every time he sang it."

Salty Dog is an old song, tons of people have recorded it and I chose the Johnny Cash version that day. It doesn't matter who else sings it. For me, it will always be my Daddy's voice, sitting in the basement, strumming his guitar, making such silly faces..."Finger on the trigger, eye on the hog...honey let me be your salty dog. If I can't be your salty dog, I don't wanna be your man at all. Honey let me be your salty dog."

 

I love you Pop. I hope you just won the last hand and someone is pouring you an ice cold one. XOXO

My new etsy shop. . .bluejayfly!

Hurrah! I've finally opened my new etsy shop...bluejayfly! This will now be home to all of my collages on wood while Wishing Star Designs will be a hodgepodge of different items like my needle felted objects, paintings and such.  I hope you will pay them a visit! Tell your friends! :)

Right now there are three collages for sale and I am working on a new batch. I am taking custom orders in this shop so if you would like to have a collage of something you do not see, let me know and I will do my best to create something you love!

Studio Renovation at a Snail's Pace

You know...if you have kids I am sure you know...it takes quite awhile to get anything done with a baby in the house. Slowly but surely, one naptime at a time, a few minutes here and there...progress is being made on the studio.  I thought I would share with you today the messy pile it is right now so that you can have something to compare the end result with...

Welcome to my mess. Everything is just kind of shoved in the center of the room so that I can get at the walls and windows.  I finished all of the window frames and now its all taped and ready for a coat of primer.

At the same time I am working on collages for the shop.  I kind of flit back and forth between things like a deranged butterfly.

In other news, there has not really been any response for the recipe swap.  Hmmmmm....is anybody even reading this or do you just not cook? lol  My friend Suzanne did share a recipe and I'll put it in the comments of that post.  Does anybody else want to come out and play?

Speaking of playing, I will end with a much cuter photo than my mess of a studio....Jake swinging at the park. WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

 

Felt Kitchen Sink and Stovetop

I am pretty excited about this latest creation. I've seen so many cute, handmade wooden kitchen sink/stove/oven sets out there, mostly hacked from IKEA furniture pieces or cardboard or wooden.  We just don't have the space for something like that, so I decided to take a shot and craft something out of felt. I had SO MUCH FUN figuring out how to piece it together and I love that its portable so the coffee table, the closet shelves in his room, the floor...anywhere could be a kitchen.

 

The best part?  The knobs on the sink and the dials on the stove actually turn. I used brads to make them move and I used the stiffer acrylic felt that you can get at Michaels.  I also want to make an oven and a refrigerator to go along with it all.  Right now this whole project is on hold though while I finish renovating my studio and making more things to stock my etsy shop.

Play Along "Recipe Swap"

I want this poppy bowl from etsy seller PrinceDesignUK (pretty, pretty things...check it out!) and I want YOU to give me some new recipe ideas to fill it with! 

I often think to myself as I'm cooking or eating that I should share this or that recipe on my blog with you dear readers. However I rarely (um okay...once, ONE time I shared a recipe) remember or find the  time. In truth its intimidating to find the time to type out ingredients and take food pictures. Gosh I wish I could photograph food like  Bea at La Tartine Gourmande. My pictures of food always look like I coated the entire dish in oil and tried to take the shot in a windowless room. Might have something to do with the fact that I do not own a "real" camera and my digital camera is more utilitatrian and less about fantastic options.  When you can drop a camera from five feet and a camel could step on it and not break it...you probably aren't going to win prizes with your photography. I'm just sayin.

So the answer to these dilemmas?  Don't type out the ingredients or instructions. Do not include photos of food. Instead...do the following to play along...

Go to etsy (or any other place you might find such things) and find a beautiful platter or bowl, tablecloth, napkins or other eating paraphenalia you wish could be yours.  Save the photo and be sure in your own post to link back to the seller's shop. See, you are doing a good deed as well! Perhaps someone will get some sales from this. :)

Within your post, share the photo and link to the shop and THEN.....

Link to some favorite recipes around the net and tell us why you like it, changes you make to it, etc., like so...

Rachel Ray's Paprika Pork Cutlets with Swiss Chard Egg Noodles

This is my new favorite thing to eat. I use more paprika...make sure you get the smoky kind because Hungarian Sweet Paprika will not do the trick.  Instead of regular bread crumbs, I use Panko (Japanese Style breadcrumbs) and ground up Rice Chex Cereal (I use this as breading for alot of things cause its healthier and makes things super crunchy).

I hope you'll play along! If you don't have a blog and want to play, please just leave links in the comments section! If you have a blog, please let me know that you are playing along! You can do just one post or several...its up to you!

Mangia!!

Felt Food Toys - Vegetables

 I mentioned awhile back that I was making a set of felt play food for Jake. I've completed several vegetables so far from patterns that I got from this etsy seller...buggabugs. The patterns are terrific, very easy to follow! I did change a little here and there, my onion looked a little more like garlic and I added the green on top.  I especially love how the corn on the cob comes out of the husk!

I love hand sewing and these are so great to make just sitting and watching tv at night. I have several more vegetables I want to make and then fruit, a sushi set and pizza!

Alright, time to head back out into the garden and deal with some real vegetables.  Most of my plants I started from seed did not make it. Which is such a bummer but we just didn't have enough sunlight! We bought some already started plants and are getting the last of those in the ground and building our chicken wire fence to keep out the bunnies!

Have a beautiful day!

Etsy...current wishlist

 

 

Fireflies Print, Gardenia Top, Silver Rings

Japanese Linen, Red French Lounge Pants, Pastel Tulip Cupcake Liners

Tuileries - Hazelnut Caramel, Madison Silver Earrings,Red Ruffled Linen Bag

Charles Eames as a Log,  Wooden French Rolling Pin, Ox Brass Bee Bracelet

Organic Cotton Washcloths, Honey Lime Soap, Airmail Notebook

Bright Sunshiney Day

These pictures were from Sunday. We have had the loveliest weather these past few days. It is undeniable how much I am affected by the weather.  All of that dreary rainyness was really getting to me. The beautiful weather, the garden being nearly finished and the successful yardsale on Saturday made for a lighter, happier, more relaxed Janet.  Hope your skies are blue too!!

This one's for you,

Visty! Because unibrows ARE funny. So is kelp wrapped around your head.

How to Stain Wood with a Vinegar and Steel Wool Solution

I am very lucky to have an amazing space for my studio. It's an all season sun porch off of our dining room and kitchen that is basically three walls of windows.  I nearly died when we walked through the house the first time and my head was spinning with what I could do with it.  The walls are a dark wood paneling and the wood trim of the windows was just raw unfinished wood.  Since then I have debated back and forth about eleventy hundred times whether to paint or stain them.  Both options suck.  Let's face it, taping all those windows, trying hard not to get anything on the white "plastic-y" parts of the window frames or glass....UGH. 

Well I finally decided that I wanted the wood paneling on the walls painted a creamy white, something bright and simple and that the window frames should be dark and that I wanted the grain to show through so that meant stain. Double UGH.  I mean between paint and stain...paint is far less of a pain the A...in my opinion.  So because I like to be nice to the planet and avoid toxic fumes when I can, I started researching eco-friendly choices.

Stain that won't make Mama Earth cry tears of blood is ridiculous expensive.  So is paint for that matter, but I digress.

When I realized that my family could either eat for the next month or we could buy stain....I did some more research by googling "homemade wood stains".  What I found makes me giddy like a little school girl. I apologize for the boring and not very well lit photos (could we please have a little bit more sun in the midwest???)  It turned my unfinished oak trim . . .

to a perfect deep chocolate brown. This part just has the stain but not the special sealer (see below) just yet.

Here is what I did  based on information from several different places online (if there was one tutorial I would point you in its direction). I poured an entire bottle of malt vinegar, plus some white vinegar and a just a tablespoon or two of Balsamic into a glass jar and added a pad of steel wool. I let it soak together overnight and removed the steel wool.  One source said that it should be strained but I didn't find that necessary, I guess if you see alot of little wool bits, you should. Anyway, I just started applying it with a rag. 

When the solution meets the wood and oxidizes I guess it causes some sort of reaction in the wood and darkens it.  I read that if you just use Balsamic it goes more grey and just white vinegar makes it go more green. I took a chance and wagered that malt vinegar would go more brown.  I went over everything a couple of times and it does get to a point where it just doesn't get any darker.

Benefits?

- The entire room of window trim will cost me about $6.
- There is no taping, scraping or real prep work of any kind. The solution can just be wiped off the glass and the white plastic parts of the windows.
- There are no toxic fumes, nothing to hurt you or the planet. Except for ants and some other bugs which are naturally repelled by vinegar. Vinegar is also a natural cleaning agent so you are cleaning while you are staining. Yes, it does smell like vinegar for a few days but that is so much better than the toxic crap in a can.
- No applying and wiping off and worrying that if you leave it on too long you won't get an even finish.
- I used one rag for the entire process which will wash out and be able to be used again.
- It didn't matter if I got any on the floor (if there was carpet that would be different so, you know...watch out if you have carpet).
- It was FUN. I felt all "Bill Nye the Science Guy" and stuff.

Downsides?

- on places where glue is on the surface of the wood, the stain won't take. It is also difficult to get into tiny little cracks.  However, I am not a perfectionist and these things are barely noticeable.
- I cannot think of any others. Unless you are allergic to vinegar which I don't think is even possible. Then again what do I know? I am not ACTUALLY Bill Nye the Science Guy.

I am nearly done with the staining and now I am starting to finish the wood with Tung Oil.  Which is also a natural alternative to chemical laden sealers. You can google that too. (I am running out of steam in regards to typing. lol).

I can't wait to show you how it all turns out. Next I'll be painting the walls.  I cannot afford the cork flooring that I want right now but eventually that will get done. When I'm a bit further along in there, I will post more pictures!

I am also excited to try the stain technique for some of my wooden plaques for my collages. Which, by the way, are on hold going into my etsy shop for just a little bit longer until I get some of these projects wrapped up.  However I do have stuff in the works! :)  Keep checking back!

Jamie Oliver's Jamie at Home Cannelloni Recipe

I absolutely love this cookbook. First of all just because its gorgeous...beautiful, heavy, color pages throughout and filled with the beauty of Oliver's gardens and kitchen.  He gives tips throughout for growing vegetables and information about ingredients.

Tonight I made the Incredible Baked Cauliflower and Broccoli Cannelloni and it was indeed, incredible.  The recipe calls for creme fraiche which would require a 40 minute round-trip drive to Whole Foods to get, nowhere else in St. Louis stocks it. So instead I made a white cream sauce with ricotta, sour cream and heavy cream.  I didn't measure but it was probably a ratio of 70-20-10, ricotta-sour cream-heavy cream...to equal 2 cups worth. It really didn't take that much time to make and it was DELISH!!`

Thank You

The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new.
-- Rajneesh

For me, for so many years, this day has been more sadness than celebration.  Looking at cards that I cannot send, wishing to make, create, cook for and most of all celebrate my own mother who passed away when I was fifteen.  That ache is still there but this year and I think every year from now on...it is finally trumped with joy.  Thank you Jake, for making me in to something absolutely new. You are the greatest gift of my life!

Thank you Mama, for every ounce of love you poured into me. For every word of encouragement, every hug, every scolding, every diaper change, every pancake made, every night of worry, every story told. I understand more now than I ever could before. I love you endlessly.

On a lighter note...lol, I am not flipping off the camera here...that would be my mom's finger caught between mine. We thought it was funny.  Happy day to all you mothers out there!

Total Bear Makeover

This was my first Teddy Bear...

A very well loved bear indeed. I called him Mr. Orange (his fur looks more brown in this photo, but there is an orangeish cast to it). He is super soft and cuddly but  I decided he was in serious need of a new look.

I felted an old wool sweater to recover the "once white" parts of his ears, snout and belly that peeks out under the vest. I kept his old nose and gave him a new tongue.  The bottom third of one of his eyes was broken off...so he got some wool felt spectacles to cover that up. For the vest I just cut out the two front panels and whole back piece and sewed that onto him directly instead of trying to make a separate removable vest ( I am just not that good...lol). As for his pants?  Well its a well known fact that bears do not prefer pants. Didn't you know?

 
 

Twice in one day? What..what?

That's right...me x 2 = Jake taking extra long nap. :)

A friend of mine sent me this little listy thing on facebook and I think its fun.  Basically open up your music player, ipod or whatever. Put it on shuffle and list the first 40 songs that appear.  Don't skip over anything embarrassing (why on earth anyone would ever be embarrassed by music is beyond me but I digress) and list the song name and artist.  I did this already on facebook but I would like to invite you, blog world...to share in the fun as well.  I am going to do a new list of 40 just to make it more interesting for me. So if you are friends with me on facebook, yes this is a different list.

I think its fun to peek into other people's music collections. Plus I will look at your lists, go check out people I've never heard of, buy some new tunes (hello economy stimulation) and get my listen on. Score!

1. Gamble Everything for Love - Ben Lee
2. Something About What Happens When We Talk (Live) - Lucinda Williams
3. Come Pick Me Up - Ryan Adams
4. Everything is Free - Gillian Welch
5. Four Leaf Clover - Abra Moore
6. Annie Mae - The Twilight Singers
7. City of Blinding Lights - U2
8. Dice - Finley Quaye
9. Kashmir - Led Zeppelin
10. The Other Side - David Gray
11. Maybe - Augustana
12. Does He Love You? Rilo Kiley
13. Mary Jane - Alannis Morisette
14. Closer - Joshua Radin
15. Once More With Feeling - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.
16. Luck of Mine - Bishop Allen
17. The Joker (cover) - Todd Snider
18. Endgame - R.E.M.
19. The Reason - Hoobastank
20. Icky Thump - The White Stripes
21. Fall Apart Again - Brandi Carlile
22. Monument - The Frames
23. Can't Take My Eyes Off of You (cover) - Lauryn Hill
24. Raspberry Beret - Prince
25. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John
26. Celebration Guns - Stars
27. Brand New Love - Serena Ryder
28. Jesus - Page France
29. Brother Lee - Citizen Cope
30. I Hope Tomorrow is Like Today - Guster
31. Pop Song 89 - R.E.M.
32. Bossa Nova - Shivaree
33. Blue Skies - Willie Nelson
34. Still Remains - Stone Temple Pilots
35. The Jump Off - Lil' Kim
36. With Arms Outstretched - Rilo Kiley
37. Wildflowers - Dolly Parton
38. Forever My Friend - Ray LaMontagne
39. And So It Goes - Billy Joel
40. Our Life is Not a Movie, Or Maybe - Okkervil River

So there you have it...a peek into my musical listenings.  I hope you'll share yours too!

When something goes amiss with crocodiles and hippos are allergic to magic...

I am sure I am like the last person on planet earth to discover this but it has made me smile so often in the last couple of days that I just couldn't stand the thought that perhaps not everyone has seen it! So I am posting it here, just in case you too were not aware that sometimes hippos are allergic to magic!

Drat....how does one embed a video for the love of Pete!  I tried sharing it from youtube but that doesn't seem to work either.  Ugh...I do not have the patience for technology.

Here is the link 

Lettuce celebrate felt food!

I started making Jake a set of felt play food. This is something I have been wanting to do forever and I figured if I start now, by the time he's a couple of years old and really wanting to play kitchen and store, he will have a good size set.

I started out with just a simple head of lettuce, which you see Mr. Man waving around in the picture above.  It was simple enough, just cut some wavy felt shapes together and sew them together around the bottom...kind of like making a rose, smaller pieces inside and larger pieces outside.  Jake was playing on the floor while I made it and was watching what I was doing.  When I finished it up and handed it to him...he got so excited. He grabbed it and hugged it and waved it around and giggled. It was like he was thinking "Really? She was making that for me?!! Score!!"  As you can imagine, I nearly melted to the floor. However,  I got myself together though and grabbed the camera.

I got some awesome vegetable patterns from an etsy seller (I will tell you more about this later) and I've made a corn-on-the-cob (it actually comes out of the husk! so cute!), carrots, an onion and a tomato. I am also working on a felt stove top and a sink.  I love making these because its mostly hand sewing, so I can sit and work on them when Jake is playing or while watching tv. With my studio all torn apart right now its impossible to work in there.  So the felt food is perfect to bring into the living room to work on.  When I have more finished I will post about this again.  That seems to be the state of many things I want to post about right now..."when this/that is a little more finished".  I am just not one of those people who starts a project and finishes it and then moves on to the next thing.  I have twenty different things going at once.  I want to tell you about this awesome natural way of staining wood, like I am doing to the window trim in my art studio right now, and I will...when its a little more finished.  I am getting a list together of things that I think are and aren't worth it when it comes to gear and "stuff" for baby and I will share it with you....when its a little more finished.  I started drawing on little wooden people figures, inspired by my friend Anne over at Green Jello, and I will share those with you....when they are a little more finished.  Catch my drift?  Right now it seems that everything in my house and the garden outside of it....need to be a little more finished.

For now....I'll just leave you with this...

Man I love a good thrift...

I think 80% of my household has been thrifted. I cannot resist a Sally Store (that would be Salvation Army), Goodwill or Value Village.  Lately I have found several bits of awesomeness...

Little kid's chair....75 cents. Yep, you heard me...75 cents and not one thing wrong with it.  What I really love is that it is from National Chair Co., which was a St. Louis furniture manufacturer!

Also for Jake, a handmade bark teepee!

It is a well-known fact that crafty people love mushrooms.

Gnomes! I think I want to just glaze them solid white. Have to find a ceramics place.

Saving the best for last...I nearly had an aneurysm when I saw this last item on the shelf. I danced a little dance even...

Underwood Golden Touch typewriter...it came with the case. THREE dollars. Three...as in one, two, three.  I can't wait to get ribbon for it!  Will I use it in this day and age? You betcha!

I also found something big that I do not have pictures to share yet.  A furniture set. Midcentury modern, Broyhill Brasilia line furniture. Headboard, desk, long dresser with mirrors and a cabinet.  Everything but the headboard is in my art studio, which I am in the process of renovating...so once that is done, I will have pictures.

Have you found any thrifted treasures lately?

On the move

There's been rolling, side skooching, and backward sliding and now there is officially, honest-to-goodness crawling. I am in trouble.

Here is a pic of him sitting up all on his own...which was just a couple of weeks ago.  In just a few weeks he's pulling himself into sitting position, has two teeth and now the crawling!  How on earth do I slow this ride down???

Jeez

or Jeez-o-peets as my friend Viv and I would say....that was one hell of a break in between blog posts! I truly didn't mean for so much time to pass but honestly it was a needed break.  There are just so many projects going on right now and time with Jake is just flying by! I cannot believe he's going to be 8 months old in just a few days!

Other than the major organization project of the house and mommyhood, here's what has been occupying a significant portion of my time....

Planning a garden is fun and extremely time consuming! Figuring out what to plant when, where and next to what.  I did figure out a cheap and clever way to start seeds!  First of all we got The PotMaker, which is a little wooden tool for making inexpensive starter pots out of newspaper.  Then I bought several aluminum roaster trays with the plastic lids to use as little mini greenhouses.  Much less frustrating than trying to cover them with saran wrap (seriously...whoever invented that stuff was a total sadist!) and we can reuse them each year.

I love when the first little shoots start to appear. Its so satisfying to grow something from seed.

So we aren't messin around here, we are planting ALOT.  So far I've started two different kinds of eggplant, five different kinds of tomatoes, two different kinds of peppers, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts,strawberries, canteloupe, watermelon, ambrosia melon, basil, lavender, and various other herbs and flowers.  Then we will directly sow two different kinds of lettuces, arugala, spinach, swiss chard, radishes, beets, parsnips, turnips, leeks, onions, okra, peas, cucumbers, pole beans and a bunch of other herbs and flowers.

I am not going to lie...in my head it all looks like Jamie Oliver's garden. Have I mentioned that I fantasize that Stephen, Jake and I move to England and work for Jamie growing things and I get to cook in that beautiful rustic kitchen of his?  We learn all we can and then we buy a plot of land in Italy and start our own and everyone we love comes to live in our little village and we all have suppers on a long wooden slab of a table outside near our garden? sigh....

What I will settle for, at the moment...is for even just a few things that we plant this year to actually make it and produce something edible. If it is a success and we get enough, by the end of the summer you'll be reading about me cursing up a storm while trying to learn to can.  Well relearn, because I used to help my mom with it when I was little.

All of this makes me feel close to them...my mom and dad.  We always had some sort of garden, big or small.  In fact, I don't ever remember buying tomatoes from a grocery store until I was in high school.  I am grateful to them for instilling this love for gardening into me and even though they are not  physically here to watch Jake grow...what he learns from me about growing things from seed to table, will give him a direct connection to them.  

Speaking of my little sprout...

"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what your are." Alfred Austin

The Shop is Open!

Hello there peeps!  Just a quick note that I have reopened my etsy shop.  The offerings are very limited right now, just a few of the things that I kept when I shut down this past summer for my maternity leave.  I have just not had the time to get things together enough to start listing my new items.  In the upcoming months I hope to add the new style of collages on wood, some paintings, the sleepy bears, and even some odds and ends like renovated jewelry boxes!

In the meantime, please visit the shop! I hope you find just what you've wished for!

Let Us Begin Again

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am wordy. Very wordy. Hardly ever at a loss for words.  However I cannot seem to adequately express what this day means to me, the pride I feel for my country, the strength of my conviction in our 44th President.  I don't think he's Superman or the second coming. Very simply....I just think he's a good man with an empathetic heart, great ideas and the ability to LISTEN...a rare thing these days. However the key to solving our many problems does not lie within him....it lies within us.  Each of us holds the promise to create a better future. There are many ways to do this...actively participating in government, dissenting against what you believe to be wrong, volunteering your time, living within your means, treating your planet with respect, raising your voice, listening to all sides, changing your bad habits, running your business ethically, performing your job passionately, raising your children to be the best human beings they can be.  Barack Obama is only one part of the equation.  Hope is a thing with feathers you know. If you aren't careful and diligent, it can and will fly away.

"All this will not be finished in the first 100 days. Nor will it be finished in the first 1,000 days, not in the life of this Administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin". JFK in his inaugural address.

A Little Update

Still not really ready to dive back into blogging consistently but I do want to let you know that I have not disappeared from the face of Blogland? Blogosphere? Blogiverse? In any case, here's some what has been going on in my world.

~ Much missed and most beloved friends came to visit from the Snow Laden North.  Shown here greatly admiring offspring. They unfortunately did not bring any of their snow for us. Bummer.

~ Jake and I got our first simultaneous cold.  Thankfully I had it worse than he did. Sweetheart hubby made delicious, life affirming, chicken and rice soup that nourished us back to health.

~ Jake is rolling all around, babbling up a storm and growing everyday.  I sing him a Willie Nelson song sometimes, "Blue Skies" and there's a line that really sticks out for me..."Look at the days, hurrying by. When you're in love, my how they fly by." 

His favorite things now include, "Puppy" (shown below), sucking in his bottom lip, "Where is Thumbkin?", chewing on our fingers (there's a bottom molar trying to break through), the "I'm gonna get that belly" game, and putting his feet in his mouth.  He is also tortured by another puppy.  It's a red puppy that dangles from his swing.  He can reach it but cannot pull it toward his mouth and he is borderline obsessed with making it bend to his will.

~ The Continuing Saga of Pulling Our Whole House Apart.  We now have many shelves in the basement, less items on the floor, more things piling up in the garage for the Spring Yardsale, a plan for where things are going in the art studio, 3 bags of recycling added to a normal weeks worth, all the books in the house finally in one place, and a sense that soon there will actually be order in our life.  This is however, the reason why you still won't be hearing much from me in the upcoming weeks. Its all consuming and I just don't think 15 posts about all my junk and where it goes will be that interesting to you.

~ Garden Plans! Oh I cannot wait! I will probably do a post on this topic later.  I just ordered all my seeds. For now, let's just say that I cannot wait to plant my Cosmic Purple Carrots and Black Krim Tomatoes, Bright Lights Swiss Chard and Lemon Cucumbers.  C'mon Spring!

~ I am very excited about the following things.  The Inauguration...absolutely thrilling, LOST!, my birthday dinner this weekend at my favorite Vietnamese restaurant...Lemongrass, going to rent Happy-Go-Lucky, a new U2 album this spring, new Anthony Bourdain shows (watching Venice right now), a trip to see my Mama Dee in early February, using all the supplies I just bought to make a mini terrarium, and being back in touch with a very dear friend from college, Becky.

So far its a wonderful new year for me and mine and I hope it is for you and yours too!

Merry Merry Everyone!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

All is calm, All is bright

  

"All is calm, All is bright". That is how I feel tonight.  There is an arctic frigid wind gusting around outside but inside there is a fire and a new hot chai tea that I am loving, a baby sleeping and a man who loves me.  Life is really good folks. :)

I have been so hit or miss with the blogging.  One week I posted something nearly every day! Now I realize that my last post was early December.  I even forgot my one year blog anniversary. December 4...which I didn't really realize last year but it is Grandpa Noe's (who Jake was named after) birthday.  He would be 108 years old this year.  So crazy! Happy Belated Birthday Grandpa and Happy Belated Birthday Blog!

I am quickly approaching 100 posts! So maybe I will do a giveaway for that to make up for the one I intended to do for the one year anniversary.  I have lots of good ideas and plans for the New Year. :) I hope you'll stay tuned.  Is anyone even tuned? lol  I see lots of visitors but I don't see many comments.  Delurk any lurkers!  Oh well, I will draw you out with giveaways next year. ;)

In the meantime, I am going to be taking somewhat of a break from the blog until after the first of the year. I am going to enjoy Christmas with my family and try to make headway on our big house projects.  We are cleaning and organizing the whole basement. At the same time I am completely tearing apart my art studio, clearing out what is not needed and getting it ready to be painted this spring.  Once we have a better handle on all of that, then I will be focusing on re-opening my shop on etsy.  I know, I know....I said I would re-open for the holidays.  I always think I have more time than what I really do and baby Jake is priority number one....so that did not happen.  However, I will be making it happen early in 2009.  I never make New Year's Resolutions really, I make plans and wishes. This year mine include...

~ enjoying every moment with Jake and Stephen
~ getting my business back off the ground
~ developing some of my ideas to sell
~ getting my home to a point where I can say "I am organized" instead of "I am organizing"
~ planting a garden this spring! I have a seed catalog in front of me right now. :)
~ playing more games...I am hooked on the dominoes!
~ painting again...I have my eye on some beautiful inks that Tollipop recommended
and as every year....
~ making at least one new friend

Thank you for following me through what has been a sometimes tough but mostly extraordinary year for me!  I send you best wishes and hope you have a wonderful holiday and new year!

XO
Janet

French Toast Perfection

During our Thanksgiving family get together, I made breakfast one morning.  This recipe from Wondertime Magazine.  I highly recommend you try this deliciousness.

I would love to hike up a mountain of French toast and bite into it to create footholds. :)

Awesome Architectural Warehouse

For Thanksgiving we went to hubby's parents new house in Landrum, South Carolina and there was a marvelous place, I think its just called "Architectural Warehouse".  Basically a place to get all kinds of cool reclaimed, antique and odd goodies for the home. Thought I would share some pics of the awesomeness...

"Are ya freakin kidding me?  Yes I will take a dozen wooden mushrooms to scatter around my yard.  Oh, $100 a pop you say?  Hmmm....I bet I could learn how to whittle."  Jeez...get a girl all excited.

Chimney cap from London.

If I had a gigantic entryway.....Oh I would so want this. Wait, I have no gigantic entryway and I still so want this! I have hats that need hanging!  Shoes to be stored in the cubbies.  Sigh....

While I am really not down with keeping birds in cages....I really love birdcages.

Bark chair

Giant Bean Pods

In love with this....a doorframe from Dutch Colonial India.

I love bottles. Old apothecary bottles....so cool.  If only they would have sold them individually I would have left with a couple of them but alas they were sold as a set.

This just cracked me up.  One of the employees had to dress him up because he was kind of freaking them out.

A beautiful old map. Pa-in-law collects them and I think this one should join the group. :)

Outside of the shop there was playing in the leaves.

This is the kind of stuff my parents think is hilarious. . .

Seriously folks...I look like the flying nun. Yeah, you guessed right...that is a diaper on my head.

Is there a money back guarantee on parents?  Jeez.

sigh...

Hope ya'll have a rockin' good Thanksgiving.  Get your eat on and such. :)

XO
Jake

Reviews

Random things I am giving the Thumbs Up to...

Jake had some seriously dry skin going on AND cradle cap (I nearly always accidentally say cradle crap...lol).  I tried several different lotions and eczema creams and none of it was doing any good. Then I bit the bullet and spent the $13 on California Baby Calendula Cream. This stuff is amazing.  I do mean A-MA-Zing.  I am now using it as my face cream as well.  Dry skin?  Completely gone.  Worth every single stinkin penny.

Thumbs up to...

Ray LaMontagne's new lp...Gossip in the Grain.  He is so soothing to me.  I saw him on his last tour and it was one of the best shows I've ever been to.  The lighting during the concert made everything look like a sepia photograph...which so totally fits his music. Love love love

Look over there to your left....more stuff I am currently listening to.  Ingrid Michaelson is a gem.

Thumbs up to...

~ Seven Minute Frosting.   I haven't tried making the devil dogs or ding dongs yet. I just used a box mix. 

~ Happy Gloves  I can't wait to make these little critters.

~ My new jacket.

yay fall!

It has been so unbelievably frickfrackin gorgeous outside!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend! 

If I could...

I would cover an entire wall in my home with this fabric, I love it so much...

I have no idea what I am going to do with it. Pillow?  Tote bag? Stare at it endlessly?  Do you ever have the problem of loving a material (paper, fabric, ribbon...whatever) so much that you are afraid of cutting it/using it?  It's like the "blank paper" syndrome when starting to draw.  That blankness just overtakes your creativity... taunting you, saying "Whatever it is you think you are going to do here is completely inferior to my awesome blankness and possiblity."  When I taught art I used to tell the kids that they had to tell that inner voice to just kindly shut up. The only way to start is to begin.

However I can't begin to do anything with this fabric until I finish the 8,000 other projects, gifts and items for the shop reopening that are piled up around me.  In the meantime I will just keep staring at it. :)

The Color Purple

 I am overwhelmed with joy this morning and a feeling of promise and optimism.  I know that not everyone is as happy about the election results, including friends and loved ones and readers whom I respect and admire.  What I want to say is this...we really aren't that far apart.  Not as much as it is made out to be.  Here is where I get super corny, so bear with me...a former primary art teacher.  Red and Blue, when mixed together...make purple.  The color that since ancient times has been associated with nobility and royalty and spirituality. It is the most rare of colors in nature and has been held sacred in many cultures and traditions. It is thought to boost imagination and creativity.

Purple is what we need in this country. Many voices, many cultures, many backgrounds, many ideas...coming together to make this country better.  As great as we have been and even in hard times, still are....we have the possibility to be SO MUCH MORE.  We might not always agree on the best ways to get there and yes there are fringes on both ends whose whack-a-doodle ideas polarize us more than they should.  However, I believe that we can find middle ground and move in a better direction.  Look at how far we have come in SO MANY WAYS already!

A man who I admire greatly and who is in so many people's thoughts during this truly historic time said something that I think of quite often...

"We must live together as brothers or perish together as fools." - Martin Luther King Jr.

And now...enough with politics!!  Let's get to work!!

YES

WE

CAN

It's been a long, a long time coming

But I hope a change gonna come. 

Gifts and Thrifts

Thought I would share a few recent goodies...

My friend Elena just sent us this burp/change pad. Isn't it adorable!?  YeeHAW!

Gift to myself....cute open toe flats from Payless.

And now for some recent thrifting finds...

This is one of my all time favorite children's books (kind of fits in with my post the other day too, lol).  It's a first edition, hardcover!  50 cents....I nearly died.

More book finds at a library sale, a couple of old poetry books, the works of Plato and. . .

My favorite, a book of Haiku.  I love these old fabric covered books and especially this one in the rough linen.  Whoever owned it before donating it to the library had pasted some pictures of Japanese woodcuts inside...

They also wrote a few of their own in the back. . .

I like this one best...

"Ever suspended
    above the ground that he strolls
      the daddy long-legs."

Jake's First Halloween

I am totally biased but I think he made the cutest Roaming Gnome.  He LOVED that beard.  He was so happy all night too and had a great time trick or treating with his buddies Connor and Anna. Well, at least the parts he was awake for...

Hope you all had a wonderful Halloween!!

lovely

 

For about an hour yesterday, Jake and I sat outside and mostly stared up into this tree.  He was fussy all morning, making me or possibly because I already was. . . cranky as well. Finally I picked him up and we walked around the yard just looking at things and breathing some fresh air.

This backyard is one of the top three reasons I wanted this house.  I miss the woods.  I grew up in a little tiny town called Beaufort, where the cows outnumber the people 100 to 1.  We had 8 acres of land, mostly woods...trees have always been my friends.  Some of my nearest and dearest call me "treehugger" and they are absolutely on the money in both my socio-political beliefs and personality. I have in fact LITERALLY hugged trees.  Anyway, I don't miss the isolation of living in the middle of nowhere but when we looked for a house here I had to have a piece of the forest.

That's the view out of our living room.  Those three pines are going to see a lot of play underneath them in the coming years.  Growing up, we had a little semicircle of trees in the backyard like this.  I would wind jumpropes around them and hang towels to make a teepee.  These are the kinds of trees that gnomes and fairies live under. I am certain of it.

Anyway, the best stress relief I can think of is right outside your door.  Just go get a whiff of it. Roll down your window on your commute to and from.  Take time to notice how sunlight sets every leaf on a tree aflame. Go find somewhere to sit and just BE.

Finally, all of this reminded me of one of my very favorite poems...

"TREES"

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the sweet earth's flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.


By Joyce Kilmer.

Made and Making

Sir Owl here was made out of a thrifted wool sweater and wool felt.  I stuffed him up with a little bag of lavender inside so he smells delightful. Pardon the picture, its a little washed out.  That beautiful afghan was made by Aunt Dawn.

Monsieur Lapin is also made out of old clothes. The white fabric has a wonderful texture to it. I love his ears.

And this is the beginnings of a robot I am making for my nephew Zachary as a Christmas present!

Where have you been all my life???

I have decided that the fireplace is an awesome thing.  When I was little, we had a potbellied stove in the basement...but I've never had a working fireplace, until now. Over the weekend, Stephen (being the handy guy that he is) fixed the crack in it that has prevented us from using it.  I admit...I was a lot nervous about burning the whole neighborhood down but it's seriously awesome.  Oh so very cozy.  Kit Kat loves it too...

Although, yesterday, when a log burned down and shifted the pile...she hissed at it. Very entertaining.

Another thing I've been wondering "How did I ever live without you? ". These AWESOME anise flavored candies.  I cannot think of the brand name right now, Mama Dee sent some home with me and I have to find out so that I can buy a truckload of them. My supply is dwindling.

The little glass owls were a present from my MIL June...representing me and Jake. :)

Speaking of Jake...

 
That smile right there is what I've been waiting for all my life.

Old Photos

I went over to my Aunt Mary's house last weekend and she entrusted me with an album of old photos I wanted to scan into my computer.  I thought I'd share a few of my favorites.

My mom, Audrey...very Ethereal-Dorothy of Wizard of Oz don't you think?

My Dad, Jay . . . going to have Stephen digitally repair this one. 

My Grandpa Noe, Jake's namesake....or as my Mom's family called him "Jakey Boy"

I don't think there is any object in the world that makes me happier than photographs.

A rite of passage...

I have officially been projectile vomited on.  Little man was feeding, all was well and then without any warning whatsoever he turned into a human milk geyser.  Seriously, some of it nearly went into my eye. I think it was somewhere around a gallon. Both the amount and the distance it traveled was truly astonishing.  Afterward he looked completely pleased with himself and flashed me a grin.

I think we mommies should be awarded badges...you know, kind of like Girl Scouts.  The "Puked On Badge", the "100th Diaper Change Badge", the "Learned How to Do Almost Everything With One Hand Badge". 

In other random news....I have to tell you how much I am loving VH1 Classics right now.  In the past couple of days I have watched concerts by Heart, The Who, AC/DC and Queen.  Freakin' Freddy Mercury...that man was brilliant. Literally gave me goosebumps.

Here's a newish pic of Baby Jake...

I need...

. . .a baby carrier. I bought a Moby and it suh-uh-ucks.  It's hot and ridiculous to put on and Jake looks at me like I'm abusing him when I try to put him in there.  I wanted something that gave some lower back support.  Anyone got any suggestions?

. . .a new hairstyle.  I am feeling gross and scruffy.  I go see a new guy on the 16th because the gal I used to go to, up and quit.  I think I am going for a bob. Enough of these stupid layers that I think are going to be so edgy and funky and end up looks scraggly and fried.  Clean neat, lose the bangs, simple bob.  Then I might grow it out from there. I just need a fresh start.  And a color job.  God I cannot wait.

. . .to share this (link to another Typepad user's site.  I was so happy to find this online!!).  What I consider to be one of the funniest SNL skits ever.  I watch it like once a day.  I quote it even more often.  I am sure I am annoying everyone around me. I do not care.  Bobby Moynihan is genius and if they don't make this a recurring skit then they are dummies.

. . .to stop thinking I have to have a photo to go along with every blog post. I might write more. You don't really care do you?

. . .to get some housework done before Jake awakes, so.....

TTFN!
XO

The Many Faces of Mr. Man

 

   

Bits and Bobs

of randomness....some items more timely than others...

* How awesome is this??!

It's a "decorate it yourself" cardboard treehouse.  You can get it here.

* My friend Greg has a blog and a great sense of humor...check it out.  This particular entry nearly made me bust a c-section stitch. 

* I was in a Magnesium coma for most of it, so I did not get to comment on the Olympics...so pardon me while I backtrack.  I just have one thing to say. Michael Phelps can suck it.  Seriously why does the media have to hone in on one thing and just wank it until it's bone dry?  Thank you for listening. I'll move on now. (I really should pay Kathy Griffin royalties or something for using her catch phrase so much....I just can't help it).

*I am watching a WHOLE LOTTA TV these days.  There's just not much else I can do while breastfeeding.  I just have not managed to perfect the art of walking around doing busywork with a wee one attached to my boob.  I am not a multi-tasker. Hence....television it is.  Is it just me or is this like the WORST batch of designers ever to hit Project Runway?  I am about to hitch a ride to New York City and whack them all up side the head.  Except Leah...her of the unfortunate jr. high bangs...I like her stuff.  But Mrs. Mousey needs to zshuz it up a notch on her own self.  I don't even know half of their names but 1950's Pin Up girl needs to get over herself, the gal with the big fro needs to crack a smile once a season,  Tanorexic Barbie..the Boy Version needs to be sterilized IMMEDIATELY...he must not breed and poor poor Tim Gunn whom I love with the brightness of a thousand suns needs a ridiculously expensive 2 week vacation on Parsons School of Design for making him put up with this crew of idiots.

Also on the tv front....Fringe made the little hairs on my arms stand up on end. Oh yes. Yes, yes, yesssssssssssss!  This makes my yearning for Lost a bit more bearable.  Thank You JJ.

Kind of tvish...(Not Really, but it involves a screen) is what is going to be my new obsession and absolutely geeky timewaster.  I seriously have NO TIME at all for this but hubby and I are running out tomorrow to buy it anyway, as I nearly peed myself when I saw the commercial for it.  SPORE.

*I have to make something soon or I am going to go into a lack of crafting induced seizure...seriously.

*As for Baby Jake, he is just the best.  Scared me to death with his first fever. He's totally fine now and I have earned my Neurotic Mommy badge.

He's gained 2 pounds and 1 inch. I don't have any new pics right now but as soon as I have time to load them on the computer, I will post a few new ones.

Here's one from a few weeks back...

Later Gators!

You'll pardon my lack of wordiness. :)

Or at least I hope you would! I did just have a baby for god's sake. lol While I am starting to get my vocabulary back and the ability to form sentences that make some sort of sense (did anyone else have that problem when pregnant?  Whole chunks of my brain just atrophied, I'm sure of it) how much I will be able to write is completely up to Mr. Snoozers in the other room. ;)

I will say this though....I am in love.  Just absolutely in love with this little man that has taken over my life.  All he does is poo and pee and eat and sleep and makes silly uncontolled faces but he's the most fascinating thing ever. When he actually smiles at me and talks??? Oh I will be done for. lol

He loves his hands, loves to grab his ears and hold a hand flat against his paci and wave them about in the air...he looks like he's conducting an orchestra sometimes or playing piano in the air. lol His fingers are long and beautiful, just like his namesake's were.

He loves the sound of running water. Everytime he cries and we turn on the faucet, he stops.  I am going to tape record the sound so as to not deplete all of St. Louis of its H2O supply. :)

He evidently also loves to sleep because I have to wake him up for night time feedings.  Please note: THAT IS NOT A COMPLAINT. lol  I do not mind WHATSOEVER setting the alarm clock to feed him every few hours rather than the alternative "Up all night" issue some struggle with.  All I am saying is that Jake, like his mommy....loves to get his sleep on. 

Here's some new pics. :)

These were from the day of his first bath and first storytime.  He and I both highly recommend the book in the picture...an excellent read. :)

 
I love it when he stretches like this. Pretty much each time I unwrap him from his little baby burrito bundle (some call it swaddling, I like to call it the baby burrito bundle) he does a series of fiercely adorable stretches and face making.  I gotta remember to record him doing it.

Sigh....He's already changing and growing so fast!

More Pictures

Hello Everyone!

My name is Jake Silas Rhoads and I was born at 9:50 am on Saturday, August 9, 2008.  I weighed 7lb 4.9 oz. and I was 21 and 1/2" long.  Right now I am ready for some chow time so I'll have to make this brief but maybe I'll let my Moms post a few more pics later.  See ya!