community garden plot

(added pictures 2012 for last year's plot)

i don't have a picture for this yet, because i haven't planted anything yet. but on march 1, hannah and i are headed over to the parks and rec. dept. to try to secure our little family a little green square in the world. it is my vision that we will grow ourselves a handy little garden using the seeds that darrick obtained last year through seed savers exchange. right now he is sorting thousands of seeds from last years crop, and dividing them to be given away or saved in his seed bank...or given to me! my goal is to cut produce spending this year, at least as much as a first time gardener could expect to. i can see hannah and i digging around in the dirt , picking veggies, coming home and preparing fresh dishes together...from the land to her plate. good lesson that darrick started last year and that i intend to continue for many years...if i can get that darn plot. apparently they are quite popular, and hard to get. wish me luck!

this handmade life

this entry falls under the category of "too busy to make things right now." but when i say too busy, i mean that i am at the park with my daughter, seeking those enriching experiences. (or i am chained to my computer each night sorting file after file after..)

reading a book right now called "radical homemaker," and yes, the title makes me almost too uncomfortable to share. i guess i don't really see myself as radical, but i do tend to agree with much of what the author argues. for example, i don't want to plug myself into the consumer culture because that is what most people do (and think we're supposed to do). i want to raise my child instead of working and putting her in daycare. i want to make stuff instead of buy it when i can. i want to cherish the moments that i am with my family and friends, because that is what makes people whole and connected. i want to belong to my community and help and be helped. i want to live in the country.

this is my own version of radical homemaking, but basically the premise is to return our focus on our homes, make it the core of our families, grow outward from there.

someday i will have my own home. with a porch. and a studio. and maybe even a homemade kiln. and a huge old barn with some animals in it. and crazy quilts on every bed. and... well, it will be just right. it will be the place where my family comes to be together and to know love.

for now, in these busy days pre-settled life, i will continue to take my daughter to the park, and watch her as she studies her reflection in the puddle. as she splashes, and pretends, and plays. this is how my handmade life is coming together (kind of like a crazy quilt).

yoga/ art retreat

just wanted to share my creation from a wonderful experience. a group of maybe 20 women met in a cozy little space above a cool little store on main street, madison. we learned about chakras, the colors that represent them, and how they effect the body. then we did some great yoga poses that related to each chakra in some way. we did some guided meditation and from that chose a color to work with during the art therapy session. i chose yellow. i ended up with a lot of black (because that is what i see when i close my eyes), and some red too (because i need to balance my root chakra :)

or, i am very much looking forward to planting myself in my final home, where i can raise my family, branch out and make connections. the yellow is the solar plexis chakra, which has to do with confidence and personal power. these are things i wish to strengthen in myself as i move through this life. so the "roads" above indicate a direction towards my center, finding my core values, rooting, strengthening, etc. i had a blast at the retreat, and it was wonderful to be surrounded by so many beautiful women. and of course, I LOVE YOGA! someday i may be a yoga instructor myself :)

be mine

happy valentine's day! this year, hannah and i made place mats covered in clear contact paper. we took turns working on all three, working some, passing it on, working some, passing back, until all three were to our liking. they work well together. we had fun making them, and daddy loved them too. all in all a good day to love and be loved. (and i got a yoga mat...woohoo!)

the knitter

this is an illustration in progress. i really enjoy sitting around and drawing in my spare time, and i like knitting. the look on her face makes me think that she's thinking about something else, and is a really good knitter so she doesn't have to watch what she is doing. i strive for that level of ability. until then, i will just draw about it and enjoy the look on her face.

dress up dress

this is a pretty little thing that i started with a pattern from making children's clothes by emma hardy. the bodice is reversible, essentially, which was a learning experience and quite exciting to make. the back is supposed to button down all the way, but i decided to close it instead. i sewed the 4 layers of tulle with a tie, then sewed it onto the dress. the skirt is made out of an old silk remnant in my stash, which gives it a decidedly luxurious feel.

it is kind of a makeshift dress, and i definitely have learned some things that i don't want to do again. but she likes to wear it as a ball gown and dance with the prince, even if it has a safetly pin in place of a button at present. i just need to hem it and add the button holes, and voila! it'll be my first fancy dress for my little bit.

my glorious, expansive studio

today i bring you...my studio. well, it's a little cramped now, but someday things will be different. a big open room with hardwood floors and windows and shelves galore! a place for everything! oh, how exciting. but for now, in our very tiny residence, my studio follows suit. i can find things pretty well, though i live in layers these days. so under a stack of these things, i find that thing. the challenge is remembering what is where, and how to place things vertically so as not to topple them too easily. i think of it as a chance to practice my organizational skills, really put 'em to the test. i have a lot of work ahead of me, but i must remember not to get too caught up in the cleaning and sorting, and really get down to the business of making. tonight, i'm gonna work on valentine's day stuff. so ta ta for now. off to find some paper!