dreaming...

birdsong

the birds sing for the spring.
calling out out to the sun, breasts bared
and throats full.
they sit on cold sullen branches, knowing
their pleas will come to fruition.
the world will not stay cold, the sun will not forsake.
watch the leaves like knife blades, pushing through the still hard earth.
green stalks do not yet bare their promise,
naked without blush.
the world holds its breath and waits for them,
all the while listening to the bird song.
they see all, and their song turns the earth.

... anon.

"overachiever" by little fish studios

"untitled" by lena corwin

"rabbit shoes" by sweet nellie

"little bouquet" by a creative mint

"little clouds in my studio" by atelier pompadour

in desperate need of some inspiration on these cold dreary days. i know i shouldn't really call them dreary... the sun shines brightly and we are not buried under snow like my friends up north. they feel dreary, and there is no escaping that. this time of year the cold seems to settle in my bones and i can't ever get truly warm. i have lived places that stay warm the whole year round. that is not the answer for me, because i know i will always suffer for the beautiful promise of spring.

visit the links above to find more lovely photos.

i want to live here (forever)...

oh my goodness, i want to go to there! i just saw this on etsy and it took my breath away. how beautiful is this new york state home, which was the residence and studio of the artist henry varnum poor (which he built himself)?! according to the website, "both medieval and modernist in style the house embodies the ideals of the arts and craft movement, which sought to recapture the lost unities of living, working, and creating sundered by the industrial age." according to the ny times, the property was in danger of being demolished a few years back, but it was bought with the intent of eventually turning it into a museum. i guess the artist's son has recently begun to sell of some of his father's possessions which were completely intact in the house. too bad. i would love to see it just as it is in these photos. my husband and i took the children last year to a self-built home of a local artist here in georgia. it was so inspiring to see the way this (self-taught) artist melded his living and working space. art and life were truly one.

some larger images, and click on the photos above to see them larger as well...

etsy favorites... (the world in miniature)

1) walnut sail boat, by littlesketchbook
2) tiny chinese blue and white teacup with little haworthia succulents, from tinyshovels
3) harry potter finger puppet set, made by claraclips
4) wooden cake topper- woodland little red and wolf, by the enchanted cupboard
5) nest on a sprig, made by winsome hollow
6) cottonwood carving whimsical fairy village, from riverotterrustic

as you could probably tell, i am obsessed with the idea of the world in miniature. i, of course, love to make little animals that fit in the palm of your hand. obviously, many other artists have this same fascination. miniature worlds abound on etsy. i could fill an entire blog with them (hey, there's an idea... hmm). i'll share some recent ones that have caught my eye in the past week. the little walnut sale boat reminds of the ones my son used to make in preschool. i just want to get in and sale away to a tiny little island somewhere. i love the tiny teacup i saw just today on etsy and reminds me also of another miniature favorite i bought myself last week...


this is an airplant, in a raw porcelain thimble cup, from pigeon toe ceramics... and it is so tiny and perfect! the little finger puppet set looks absolutely adorable as well, and i would love to have one of these for me... i mean my kids (not really, it would totally be for me). i love the little miniature red riding hood scene for a cake topper. how sweet for a child's (or child at heart's) birthday party. i included the little nest on sprig, even though katy doesn't have one in her shop right now. all of her miniature creations are so perfect... but i have a nest like this one and it is so sweetly tiny! i just love it. finally, i was really struck by the tiny detailing in the carved fairy village. i can just see hanging this on a child's wall and letting them imagine the tiny world that would exist within.

i hope you enjoy!

farm inspiration...

my husband and i spent a wonderful three day weekend at the serenbe inn outside of atlanta. it was set on a beautiful farm.... and i was in heaven. talk about serious inspiration, i want to make all of these animals now! the horse at the top was the sweetest. she was in the field next to the lake house where we stayed, and came over to say hello every time she saw me. my father was a horse trainer, and i had forgotten just how much i love to be around horses. i really miss riding. it just felt really good being outside in such a lovely, quiet setting. we went on many walks (including at night... um, hello millions of stars, i had forgotten you exist!), and hiked to a waterfall and old farm ruins. there is also a wonderful restaurant at the inn, the farmhouse, that has the yummiest farm grown food. did i mention i was in heaven?

also, the weather was sooo beautiful, and despite it turning colder again this week... i have the memory of this beauty to remind me spring is on the way!

little grey donkey...

i'm nearly finished with this little spring donkey. i had intended for her to have a little baskets of flowers, but i came across this vintage embroidery i had nearly forgotten about. it seems to suit her. it is such a beautiful piece of hand embroidery on the loveliest cream colored wool. i was so excited when i found it at a "junktique" sale before christmas. i just need to finish attaching it and she will be ready to go!

i'll have to make another with baskets:)

cheating...

ok, i'm cheating a little bit with my inspiration this week... letting someone else do the work. as soon as i came across this beautiful mosaic made by violetta from portugal, made from her flickr group recycled home i knew i had to use it. not only do i love everyone of these photos, but i just want to live in the world this image creates! i found these beautiful muted colors, and the creative ways these objects are displayed to be endlessly inspiring. i have so far to go in creating anything like this but i will keep trying! i hope you will enjoy them as much as i do.

sugar rush...

well, valentine's day started out with a sugar meltdown... and ended with one too. chocolate and waffles sound like such a wonderful way to start the day... in theory! it was very nice in between though. lot's of wrestling (it's hilarious to watch the two little ones try to gang up on their papa), playing in the snow, a cozy fire, and just enjoying being together. my husband made a wonderful dinner of oysters, salmon with pesto, grits and spinach. mmm. very romantic, despite the little monkeys climbing all over us, insisting on sitting in our laps to eat, and blowing out the candles (and wax) all over the table. i wouldn't have it any other way... especially knowing we get a weekend away for just the two of us at the end of this week! hooray!! i hope you all had a love (and sugar) filled day as well.

little giraffe...

new little giraffe in the shop, as promised! she is made from a recycled and felted mustard yellow wool, and a lovely floral kettle cloth. i think she would bring a little sunshine to anyone's day!

i'm working on a new little spring donkey now!

grey...

a lovely snow fell in atlanta yesterday! it was a very nice surprise (thanks katy!... she has snow on her birthday every year). it was a lovely marshmallow world, more beautiful because it was unexpected i think. you can see some more photos, if you like. i also have a little grey and white sheep in the shop as well!

sisters...

what more can i say than that? if you have a sister, you know what i mean... what they mean. i am lucky enough not only to have always had someone to share in everything in my life, but a sister who turned out to be my best friend too. i honestly don't know what i would do without you katy. you make everyday a brighter day. thank you for being you. you know we will always be "twins in the head". love you sweetie, and happy birthday!!!

five minutes...

i'm enjoying the fun that is going on at flickr, in response to the new feature that allows you to tag people. there is something very endearing about seeing all these candid faces popping up, along with quick tidbits about what they are doing at that moment. i guess we are eternally curious about other peoples lives... but it is nice to see all the faces of people you are sharing this online world with! thanks to eren (this vintage chica) for putting together the gallery above to remember some of them. if you are on flickr, you should play... and tag me so i can you:) can you spot me in there? thanks to my friends who played along with me too!

broken...

{a break}

this has been a strange week for me. many things i hold dear, or find extremely useful in my everyday life are turning up broken. my toaster, cd player, sweet little green vintage planter i bought for my birthday, my french press (gasp)... and so on. i'm not sure what this means? i tend to read into everything, especially when it happens in strange groupings.

{taking a risk}

i feel like the "universe" is trying to tell me something, or my own brain is trying to tell me something, or maybe just my children are trying to tell me something, since they are the ones mostly likely to do the breaking. maybe it's a simple matter of inattentiveness. i don't really mean my own (usual) fumbling, because i'm not the one breaking things this time, but perhaps i am not being as attentive to those around me as i should be.

{oops!}

with each heart wrenching shatter, and "oops!" accompanied by a sad tear on the part of the dropper i am perhaps being reminded to pay less attention to these things, no matter how beloved, and more attention to the people around me. maybe it means i need to take more breaks, not from them but with them. that i need to find the right balance in my life and certainly much more patience? eternal quests for me and, i guess everyone. these are not always easy lessons. maybe it takes a little bit of earth shattering to wake me up.

{a break in the clouds}

little lamby...

well, another little lamby has found a home before i had a chance to post it here! i like how it came out with this fabric, so i will make some more. i am nearly out of this fabric though! i ordered it so long ago to make a special order, a very large bunny. it has lasted me a long time! which is good, because it was expensive:) oh, i have to restock so much right now... sheep's wool, fabric, business cards... and so on. my supplies are dwindling rapidly. compare that with two rapidly growing children, however, and money seems to fly off in every other direction instead. i need to to get sewing quickly... but with my little creatures, quick isn't a word that works so well!

** i hope you will join me on facebook to hear about shop updates first... you can click on the box at the right and it does it for you i believe? what do you think about facebook? do you find it useful? it seems so many shops are are using it all of a sudden. i was very reluctant about the whole facebook thing for quite awhile, but i am finding it handy. i am amazed at how many friends and "fans" people are able to gather! i am quite the wallflower i fear:) i accidently became a fan of my own shop when i was trying to click the box to get there! is that a faux pas? oh dear.

etsy favorites...

1) gold birdie mug, made by mudpienc
2) charleston barn original painting, by trinaberg
3) vintage gold glasses, from luckylittledot
4) carved wooden birds- your choice, made by craftyguys

a little taste of spring, on a very dreary day here. i will post another sheep this weekend, probably tomorrow as there is not much sun today! i'll post at my facebook page before it goes up. i also have a giraffe that is nearly complete and will go in the shop soon. if you would like to hear about listings right away you can join me on facebook for updates! happy weekend!!

time is precious...

me: "time to wash your hair."
sid: "i did that yesterday.'
me: "no you didn't."
sid: "the day after that."
me: "you mean the day before?"
sid: "actually, i meant tomorrow."
me: "tomorrow hasn't happened yet."
sid: "what?!"
me: "tomorrow hasn't happened yet."
sid: (shaking her head) "ay yi yi".

... apparently that was the end of the conversation.

i wish i could hold onto these moments for all the tomorrow's that haven't happened yet.

candlemas...

i have just finished reading lacuna, by barbara kingsolver... probably my favorite author. i loved it and highly recommend it. the novel is set largely in mexico, and several times within the book the characters celebrate candlemas. i had never heard of this, and curiosity sent me searching online. i was surprised to see that this tradition is celebrated in waldorf schools... i don't remember learning about it when my son went? according to various traditions and beliefs candlemas has different origins. for some in marks 40 days past christmas when mary is purified and presents the baby jesus. it marks a time to put away christmas and begin moving forward to a new season. this is true in other cultures as well, as it marks the halfway point between the winter solstice and spring equinox. it is a time to begin spring cleaning, in our homes and beneath the ground, where the earth prepares to sweep away winter and new life begins to form below. according to waldorf mama, where the lovely picture above comes from, "the irish name for this celebration is 'imbolc', derived from the gaelic word for 'ewe's milk'...after the lactating sheep that are nursing their first born lambs of the new season this time of year. a festival that was originally dedicated to the goddess, brigid, keeper of the perpetual sacred flames." candles are often lit, or a fire in the hearth. it is a time to both reflect on the past and to look forward to the future.

i really am in love with this idea, and it carries special meaning for me. candlemas falls on february second, the evening before my birth. as i get ready to embark on a new year tomorrow i am doing many of these same things. tomorrow we step one day closer to spring, and for me one day closer to something much larger, i guess. i am looking forward to what lies ahead for me. i eagerly await spring (and in the meantime, i am enjoying an early birthday gift of springtime in a basket) and whatever else it may bring! i wish you a happy candlemas too!