Friday, December 09, 2011

methinks perhaps crafters are crazy

This is my "never-again" Advent calendar.
I got inspired to make this from a photo that someone had posted on Facebook. It was a photo from a craft store ad. That should've tipped me off to avoid this project! I've seen all these creative Advent ideas--mostly on blogs and Etsy--of Advent muslin drawstring pouches, Advent bags hung on cute little clips, Advent boxes hanging down as a strip of garland. Now I know these people are crazy. What happens when I do a project is that my house, the laundry, and all other priorities aside from my job go to hell while I produce my one little whoop-dee-doo-da.

I don't know why I ever thought it would be fun to do this. It was fun for maybe the first seven boxes. But there are 24 days leading up to Christmas, not seven. And that means 24 little gifts or handwritten certificates for fun extras (watch a Christmas special, play a game of your choice with Dad, 15 minutes of pillow-fighting, etc.) That's like stuffing five stockings, except you can't just stuff them into a stocking. Nope, you have to find things to fit each container or write a note that says: "Ask for the present that goes in #9 because it doesn't fit." It takes time, thought and money. It's also a puzzle. I had fun finding the little gifts, but I'm over it now.

My mom sent us 24 miniature Advent books that tell the Christmas story, so I wanted to contain them in a cute way, to be opened each day. At least the calendar is done now. And I can reuse it next year, if I can stand to go through the present part again. I am one big Grinch. I just want to get to the part of Christmas where there's time off and no more preparation or stuff. Pajamas, hot cocoa and a cozy fire are all I want.

Wednesday, December 07, 2011

A Christmas Meditation


 Somehow the quiet light of Christmas always finds me, even when I have forgotten to look for it, or have despaired of finding it in the jingle-jingle tidal wave of the holiday season. In December, I always end up feeling like I'll need to be carried into Christmas on a stretcher, next to all my fallen holiday aspirations, my visions of sugar plums marred by stress and fatigue and burnout. And all I'm doing is trying to make it to the last week of the year without crumbling like a Christmas sugar cookie, patched together with frosting because one pan of cookies burned and the others broke and it was too late to make more dough and try again.

And then it happens: the true light that came into the world casts its soft glow in my heart. Ever so quietly, ever so kindly, ever so faithfully, the light finds me and softly bathes me to prepare me to behold the Christmas miracle: The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
(John 1:9)

It always happens at night when it's quiet and I'm alone. It happens when I'm listening to soft, sacred music in the low light, taking pen to Christmas card to write my love, pen stroke by pen stroke, to family and friends, pausing to recollect each one, while images of them dance in my memory. All of a sudden, some portion of the Jesus narrative from Scripture takes hold of my heart and I am transported with wonder at the goodness and persistence of His light shining through the ages. He was the long-expected one.

Simeon, a devout old man at the time of Jesus' birth, was waiting for the consolation of Israel. And upon holding that consolation in his arms, he was ready to depart this life in peace:
"For mine eyes have seen Thy salvation,
which thou hast prepared before the face of all people,
a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of my people Israel." (Luke 2:28)

That's all he needed, just to see Jesus, just to know that the consolation, the light and the glory had arrived in the flesh, safe and sound.

Simeon knew the light was coming because it had been foretold by the prophets. He knew the light would shine on all the generations to come, long after he had departed. It was all he needed to know. It was all he needed to anticipate. It was all he needed, period. And now that it had finally come, he could go in peace.

That selfsame light of the world is all I need to know, and I am so thankful that it finds the way to my heart more surely than Santa finds the way to my house. It finds me without fail in the midst of all that is merry and bright, or wearisome and overwhelming, and it shines its faithful, persistent light as though Simeon himself had passed me a candle during the Silent Night.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Happy Halloween!!

A few shots of our Halloween. Knox went as a blue Angry Bird from the Angry Birds video game. He has a flock of stuffed Angry Birds that he dearly loves. Dinner was hot dogs wrapped in Pillsbury breadstick dough to make mummies. (I picked up that idea from a dad, not a mom, much to my amazement!) We made ghostly cupcakes for dessert and had apple cider. Then Clay and Knox set off into the night to procure the treats. After they wandered the neighborhood, I drove Knox to our friends' house, where the front porch was a beautifully done Hogwarts and they passed out jumbo candy bars--no candy under six inches there!
Sweet little blue Angry Bird, hat turned

Our porch

The loot, the stash--yum!

Our friends' lovely Hogwarts-themed porch: owls, candles, sorting hat, and Sirius Black poster

More Hogwarts porch: Harry Potter jack-o-lantern

Mama Witch and her sweet-cheeked blue Angry Bird boy

Tuesday, October 04, 2011

Full or Half?


Lately I've been troubled by how distracted I am when I'm with my seven-year-old son, and how I haven't been wanting to spend time engaging with him. It's been hard for me to bring myself to spend time with him doing what he wants to do. I'd rather be accomplishing household tasks, reading, or doing email and Facebook, etc. I've felt dragged down by moving through the evening routine of after-school activity, dinner, cleanup, homework, bedtime. I've wanted to be free of parental responsibility and get on with my own tasks, interests and pursuits. It IS difficult to know that I won't get to those things, MY things, until I'm almost too tired and out of oomph for them late in the evening. But I don't want to live in a distracted state of internal and external conflict between his wants and needs and mine.

I work with young children in two different settings, one in a play studio for children ages 2-8 and one in a small, in-home Montessori morning program for ages 12-24 months. My Montessori "boss" gave me a book to read about caring for infants with respect. I started out reading it only because I had to, but I was eager to "get it out of the way" and get back to material I really wanted to read. However, it has been a very pleasant surprise to discover that it might be exactly what I need to be reading right now. Its pace has slowed me down, helped me take a deep breath and given me much food for thought and reflection. It's written for parents or caregivers caring for infants, but it is so applicable to working with older children as well.

The portion that leaped off the page and spoke to me today is:
"'Unbusy' your head and 'unbusy' your body. Be fully there, interested in only your baby for that time...
If you pay half attention all the time, that's never full attention. [Your child is then] always half hungry for attention. But if you pay full attention part of the time, then you go a long way."

This evening, I hope to call these words to mind and choose to unbusy myself for a few minutes and give Knox my FULL attention. Instead of saying "not right now," "maybe later," "in a moment," or "I have work to do," maybe I can just stop for a few minutes and say, "Sure!", thereby communicating to him that I am interested in him and that he is worthy of my attention. And maybe if I can do that this evening and again the next evening and even on Saturday afternoon, maybe his chirp for attention will diminish a bit because he will no longer need to clamor for it. Maybe??! We'll see...

(The book is called "Dear Parent: Caring for Infants with Respect" by Magda Gerber, Resources for Infant Educarers)

Friday, August 26, 2011

Partying

I just drove past a UVA frat house on my way to return library books at 6pm on a Friday evening, and the revelers were littering the lawn, boozing, mingling and throwing an inflated football while some were hanging out in an inflated kiddie pool and spraying each other with a hose. This scene didn't stir any feelings of nostalgia for my college days, nor did it make me wish to be young, free and unattached again. Quite the opposite, actually. It brought up my feelings of social dread, cringing and party phobia. I was SO relieved that I wasn't spending my evening there with them! I felt all the things I used to feel when I was that age but no more inclined to party then than I am now: What will we DO for all these hours? What if I stand around awkwardly and alone, or can't fake it and pretend I'm comfortable and having fun? I can't handle these open-ended social situations where I'm supposed to be either hot or funny and able to banter or flirt. Where can I find a conversation? Where are the grownups?! I need to find comfortable, nice people! And isn't anyone else pained by how stupid all of this looks (particularly the blowup kiddie pool bit)? Maybe people drink to overcome how appallingly uncomfortable they feel, or am I the only social weirdo? Why would I so much rather be home right now, or at a coffee shop with just one or two or three close friends when everyone else seems happy to be in this big, noisy group? Why do people spend the whole night doing this? When can I go home?!

Parties have long inspired fear and dread for me. Even now as a full-fledged adult, social engagements that involve more than a few intimate friends or acquaintances make me very nervous. I find it hard to pry myself away from my day-to-day thoughts, responsibilities and to-dos and just have a good time hanging out and making conversation. I'm especially nervous if I anticipate that it might be hard to find common ground with the crowd I'll be socializing with. I cringe at my lack of cultural currency to bandy about in witty repartee. I also get nervous about how much money will be spent having a good time, as I am a little tightwad and can't ever let loose when it comes to spending on drink and merrymaking.

Usually, things go better than I expect, and I find I am now far better equipped to be comfortable standing or sitting alone for a few minutes between one social pairing or grouping and the next, and I even seek the refuge of being alone and browsing bookshelves or sitting on a sofa by myself for a few minutes of solace--an oasis from the pitch of laughter and amusement. Sometimes I even enjoy a gathering immensely. When I am nervous in anticipation of a social event, I try to recall my most recent social experience that went well and I call on those feelings of confidence and courage to help me. I remember that it can be fun and that the uncomfortable feelings beforehand are often the worst part of it. But I'm still always relieved when it's over and I can go home. :)

(I wish I had had my camera with me when I drove past the frat party. I would've loved to post a snapshot of those silly college kids in their blowup pool.)

Partying

Partying

I just drove past a UVA frat house on my way to return library books at 6pm on a Friday evening, and the revelers were littering the lawn, boozing, mingling and throwing an inflated football while some were hanging out in an inflated kiddie pool and spraying each other with a hose. This scene didn't bring any feelings of nostalgia for my college days, nor did it make me wish to be young, free and unattached again. Quite the opposite, actually. It brought up my feelings of social dread, cringing and party phobia. I was SO relieved that I wasn't spending my evening there with them! I felt all the things I used to feel when I was that age but no more inclined to party then than I am now: What will we DO for all these hours? What if I stand around awkwardly and alone, or can't fake it and pretend I'm comfortable and having fun? I can't handle these open-ended social situations where I'm supposed to be either hot or funny and able to banter or flirt. Where can I find a conversation? Where are the grownups?! I need to find comfortable, nice people! And isn't anyone else pained by how stupid all of this looks (particularly the blowup kiddie pool bit)? Maybe people drink to overcome how appallingly uncomfortable they feel, or am I the only social weirdo? Why would I so much rather be home right now, or at a coffee shop with just one or two or three close friends when everyone else seems happy to be in this big, noisy group? Why do people spend the whole night doing this? When can I go home?!

Parties have long inspired fear and dread for me. Even now as a full-fledged adult, social engagements that involve more than a few intimate friends or acquaintances make me very nervous. I find it hard to pry myself away from my day-to-day thoughts, responsibilities and to-dos and just have a good time hanging out and making conversation. I'm especially nervous if I anticipate that it might be hard to find common ground with the crowd I'll be socializing with. I cringe at my lack of cultural currency to bandy about in witty repartee. I also get nervous about how much money will be spent having a good time, as I am a little tightwad and can't ever let loose when it comes to spending on drink and merrymaking.

Usually, things go better than I expect, and I find I am now far better equipped to be comfortable standing or sitting alone for a few minutes between one social pairing or grouping and the next, and I even seek the refuge of being alone and browsing bookshelves or sitting on a sofa by myself for a few minutes of solace--an oasis from the pitch of laughter and amusement. Sometimes I even enjoy a gathering immensely. When I am nervous in anticipation of a social event, I try to recall my most recent social experience that went well and I call on those feelings of confidence and courage to help me. I remember that it can be fun and that the uncomfortable feelings beforehand are often the worst part of it. But I'm still always relieved when it's over and I can go home. :)

(I wish I had had my camera with me when I drove past the frat party. I would've loved to post a snapshot of those silly college kids in their blowup pool.)

Friday, August 12, 2011

{Un}inspired

Today I'm feeling:
:: snide
:: churlish
:: bitter

Isn't churlish a great word? It means ungracious or ill-natured.
"How are you today?" a poor, unsuspecting soul ventures to query.
"I'm feeling rather churlish, I'm afraid," I respond and walk away,
in my imagination only. I'm rarely--no, never--churlish in public.
But I'll dare to be churlish on this here public blog today.
I'll indulge my equivalent of sour stomach acid before applying the antacid of good cheer, gratitude and getting on with my day.

If you follow any of the blogs I do, you'll appreciate my sarcastic rendering of the {brackets} that usually bookend words like {in}spired life
and the double colon :: that my truly favorite blogger {of all time} [ha!] uses to introduce things she's loving, doing, feeling--all lovely and not embittered like me. :[

I think I woke up on the wrong side of the couch this morning, checked a couple favorite blogs and the Facebook news feed and felt like all the inspired people in the world are living such inspired, homemade, productive lives, canned and preserved in rustic, beautiful Mason jars decked in burlap ribbon with little chalkboard labels. They've made their fresh salsa with their garden veggies and herbs, their homemade ice cream flavor of exotic extraction, their fresh pasta sauce from their tomato garden harvest {my tomatoes died on the vine}. They've also run several miles this morning and thrown their children a creative birthday party in the past week, with handmade favors and homemade cake from scratch, with fresh eggs collected that very morning in a rustic wire basket from their backyard chickens. They've documented and blogged about it every step of the way and posted their original recipes for all to enjoy. They've had such a way with words and photographs--painting word pictures with expert brush strokes and mingling photographs to give your heart a pang. They've also published a book with their original photography, all while raising and homeschooling their kids and knitting, sewing, throwing pottery and selling their wares on Etsy. Or being a professor. Today their DIY project is to make a raised wooden garden bed to grow their own pumpkins just in time for Halloween and Thanksgiving. They're a few weeks late on getting their pumpkins into the ground, but they'll yield a plump little harvest nonetheless.

Guess what? I feel better now! I've spewed my bitterness and am ready to move on with my ordinary day of moderate productivity and mood swings, while hoping and praying that our neighbors in Kenya and Somalia can be fed and hydrated and taste hope while we in America carry on with our {in}spired lives. (I'm merely noting the disparity here, merely wishing that those experiencing famine and refugee status could live in comfort, beauty and security with fresh food and clean drinking water. I am NOT saying that those who can create beauty should not enjoy it and share it. I just wish it could spill over to the Horn of Africa. Maybe it can! I'm just sad that some are dying while others are thriving. I want everyone to be thriving! We don't all thrive to the limitless extent that blogs and Facebook feeds portray, albeit in a skewed way, but there are enough resources in the world for everyone to have the opportunity to thrive.)

I take full responsibility for letting blogs and Facebook feeds bring me down. I don't truly resent those who are celebrating and creating beauty and goodness and accomplishing things. I just need to monitor my intake and response!







Monday, May 16, 2011

Summer Writing

     Today is a little practice run for the summer days with no school that are just around the corner. Three short little weeks left until Knox is home--a lot! Naturally, I'm trying to equip myself with resources and ideas for ways to help him stay occupied so we can minimize the "I'm bored, there's nothing to do, what should I do?" mantra.
    I'm going to prepare a writing caddy with paper, pens, pencils, colored pencils, pencil sharpener, card stock strips, etc. I've ordered a book called "Rip the Page: Adventures in Creative Writing" by Karen Benke. It has fun writing prompts and ideas, lists to make, snippets from poems and authors--lots of good stuff to get the creative juices flowing.
    When I taught sixth grade (the one year I taught), we did a lot of creative writing, and my favorite writing prompt was called spill-a-story. I collected small objects and put an assortment of them in little containers with lids. I would give a container to each student and they would spill the contents onto their desk and write a story involving the objects. The objects can be anything: a penny, a plastic trinket, a fuzzy pom-pom, dice, a playing card, a ticket stub, an action figure, a sticker, a spool, etc. I plan to make some spill-a-story containers for Knox to rev his writing engine. It's fun!
   I want to sit down and do some writing exercises with him. I'm starting today with a little poem about a lady who didn't write her thank you notes (it just so happens that I know her very well, ahem):

She swirled through the rapidly moving stream
Calling out her thank yous to the figures along the riverbank
Who never heard them above the roar of rushing waters.
She left stranded thank yous in her wake, caught in the
Eddies and currents, bobbling unreceived and unknown.
The figures and their kindnesses blurred into green and gray
As she was swept along further and further from them.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Parental Evenings

The part of parenting where you've had a long, full, busy day and you're tired and want nothing more than to stretch out on the couch in a quiet house and read or watch a show or movie but you have to move through the after-school time, homework, dinner, bath and bedtime--yeah, that's rough. You simply don't get to relax when you want to (or need to). It always has to wait until after the kids go to bed, as do the time-sensitive emails, phone calls, and any planning and preparation for the next day, the next month, the trip, the guests, the job, the what-have-you.

I don't always notice or keenly feel how much I miss having down time as soon as I've arrived home from a meeting or work. But I feel it tonight. I feel the aching delay of my own time to recoup, relax and unwind after a busy day. I must supervise bath, play a little game, brush some little teeth and tuck in a little boy and then, and only then, will I take to the couch. I can do it. Just 45 more minutes until the big exhale and the sinking of my weary body into my sofa's soft embrace. Hang tough, mamas! I'd like to pass out some endurance awards to all my mom friends, and to myself. :)

Friday, April 08, 2011

Let Us Be Dissatisfied Until ...

MLK still speaking loud and clear through the e-stream. 
I wasn't able to embed the video, but I do enjoy listening to King's speeches so I'm including the link in case you have time or inclination to listen to the King. :)

"Let us be dissatisfied until ..."

I'm starting a list of what I will be dissatisfied with until it is transformed by Love that protects and emboldens. Human trafficking, abuse of all kinds, neglect, rape, starvation, poverty, terrorism, oppression, warfare, genocide, violence, theft and piracy, racism, assault, lack of education, unequal status. 

So thankful for the people who make these things their problem, their business. I want to see transformation in individuals, cultures, governments, nations. I want to see LOVE. I want to work and pray toward it and join others who already are.

"What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive, and that love without power is sentimental and anemic.
Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice.
Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love."
~MLK

"There will be those moments when the buoyancy of hope will be transformed into the fatigue of despair. Difficult and painful as it is, we must walk on in the days ahead with an audacious faith in the future.”
~MLK

"When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds of despair, and when our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, let us remember that there is a creative force in this universe working to pull down the gigantic mountains of evil, a power that is able to make a way out of no way and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows."
~MLK

"This is our hope for the future, and with this faith we will be able to sing in some not too distant tomorrow, with a cosmic past tense, "We have overcome! (Yes) We have overcome! Deep in my heart, I did believe (Yes) we would overcome."
~MLK

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart! I have overcome the world." 
~Jesus~ John 16:33

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Women's Rights

Lately I've been wanting to know that I could kick someone's ass if I needed to, particularly if someone was assaulting me or anyone near me. Images of Demi Moore's and Angelina Jolie's bad-ass movie roles come to mind. I want to know that I have the skill and power to bring an attacker to his knees. I'm 5'4" and throw like a girl, so acquiring this strength and these takedown tactics would require a tremendous amount of discipline and a lot of workouts! But oh, to know that I could wail on someone if they messed with me...

That sort of brings me to something that's been on my mind of late. Every time I hear reports of women in other countries being assaulted, raped, groped, and generally mistreated by men, I feel such incredible sadness and moral outrage. It disturbs me and sickens me to the core. Mistreatment of women is apparently outrageously commonplace in many countries. I lament and grieve that entire cultures breed men who learn this disrespect and violence and get away with it. I would really like to find some reading about how and why this happens and what can be done about it. It's not only a matter of empowering women, though that is surely part of the solution. There are centuries-old political, economic, social, cultural forces that factor into the equation. I wonder if there's any way I could be a miniscule part of bringing about much-needed change in places where women do not get through life without being assaulted, violated or raped. I would very much like to find out which organizations are working toward change in specific countries and find out if there is any way I can participate in empowering women and men to respect each other's bodies and lives. Human dignity, security, well-being, human rights--worth working and fighting for.

Friday, March 04, 2011

Birchgirl Learns Something New

Generally, I stay up very late at night on the Internet. Having the world at my fingertips is like a drug for me. I lie on the couch with my laptop and immerse myself in so many worlds of thought and imagery. I literally lose sleep over it. I'm not saying that's a good thing; it's just the thing I do lately. So last night I whipped up a new blog (well, technically I repurposed an abandoned blog). Heh heh. It's called Birchgirl Learns Something New. I realized that I really do learn something new and fascinating every day, and my new blog will be the place where I can quickly record that new something and start a collection of my newfound nuggets of knowledge. Fun and quick. I have two entries so far--the two things I learned in the past two days. There are also some other random posts on there from a previous blogging spree. Have fun! http://birchgirl.wordpress.com/

Saturday, February 26, 2011

A Little More Grey (and Pussy Willows!)

I was just enjoying my daily check-in at SouleMama, and one thing leads to another and another in the Web and, depending on the time of day, sometimes I'm still making discoveries four hours later. In this case, I kept it to ten minutes of discovery, which I will share with you now.

Every weekend, SouleMama features carefully selected sponsors and their giveaways and discounts. She selects small businesses that share her values in terms of handcrafted goods, environmentally responsible materials and business practices, lovely products that are beautiful and useful, and business owners who are thoughtful about their lifestyles. Today she featured Aurora Shoe Company. I really like the way the owner explained the values of thinking about what we are purchasing, from whom, what materials were used, where did they come from, etc. Here is an excerpt from SouleMama's interview with Aurora Shoe Company:

~:: We're always inspired by other small business owners who, like us, have committed to a culture and a lifestyle that build our local economies and support our own ideals. It's so easy to become a blind consumer today, always buying the cheapest goods without taking the time to think about where they've come from or what their real value is. We're proud to be a part of the growing sector of America that is much more conscious of how their money is spent and where their goods come from.

There is so much creativity and industry all around us - we just have to be willing to look a little farther (or in our case, closer) than the nearest strip mall to find it!

When we buy handmade we're demonstrating a value that goes beyond price.  To buy handmade is to invest in an art form, a way of life and a cultural ideal.  It's to take part in a system that supports the individual, the artist and the entrepreneur in a society and an economic system that leans in the opposite direction. ~::

They also pointed out that the goods on the shelves in American stores often have prices that don't reflect the cheapness of their quality because of the costs of import taxes, marketing and shipping.

I have not even come close to making a complete switch to local, organic, environmentally responsible food and goods made by people who are very conscious and intentional about their work. I still frequently shop for convenience and low pricing, and usually out of necessity. But I have been subtly, gently influenced by SouleMama and Etsy and my own attraction to supporting the business owners in my own community, and will continue to move in that direction as I am able.

I clicked on a link in SouleMama's post about Aurora Shoe Company that led me to an Etsy shop called Madder Root, which sells handprinted, organic tea towels, napkins and produce bags. I found this pussy willow tea towel in oyster gray, which I thought was a perfect little follow-up to my last post about shades of grey and pussy willows! I can add oyster gray to my list of shades of gray, and it falls in the gray, not grey, category, according to my rubric for when gray should be spelled with an "a" or an "e"! I sure do love that bowl of eggs in soft shades of brown, gray and cream!
lovely pussy willow tea towel from Madder Root's Etsy shop

Tuesday, February 08, 2011

Shades of Gray

I love shades of grey. I love the word gray, and I love the name Gray. I love it when people name their daughters names like Mary Gray. I can't decide which spelling of gray I prefer: gray or grey. Considering my affinity, affection and fondness for gray, this is something I should have an opinion on. I do now, after thinking about it for a moment. Grey is for slate, steel, charcoal, pewter, gravel and all the hardest, darkest shades of grey. The "e" makes the word harder and more steely, I do believe. Gray is for softer shades, like dove, heather, feather, blue-gray, seaspray (that's a West Elm color), winter-sky gray, pebble, pussy willow.

By the way, is there anything prettier than pussy willow? Hardly. Hydrangeas, tulips, peonies, orchids and gerbera daisies take my breath away, but the pussy willow soothes me like nothing else. I could fill this post with 100 images of beautiful gray things and pussy willows. And put it all to a David Gray soundtrack, because I like him too and it's just so perfect that his last name is Gray.

Fortunately for you, dear blog reader {I keep that singular because I think there may be only one or two of you, maybe three on a high-traffic day}, I do not have time to post that many pictures of gray things. But I will toss out a few. I'm bedding-crazed right now, probably because I can't afford to buy any and I've decided it's time to even though there just ain't the budget for it right now. Here's a set I'm drooling over:
 This is BlissLiving Home's Ashley Citron bedding, available online. It kind of takes my breath away.

Maybe I should just stop there, for maximum impact. I forgot to mention how much I love gray with mustard yellow, or any yellow, really. Let's just call it citron from now on because citron has such a lovely, Frenchy ring to it. Why say yellow when you can say citron or dijon? But yellow's a pretty word, for English.
 I own this tablecloth, but I purchased it for a table I no longer own and my current table is too big for it. It's folded on top of my linen armoire because it deserves to see the light of day and it makes everything prettier. It's the Williams-Sonoma Marseille tablecloth in dijon (not citron). ;-)

Okay, back to bedding after that brief detour to table linens. Three "hellos" in a row, all from West Elm.


 Sadly, I have to go to bed now in my so-not-gray-and-citron/dijon bed. But at least it's cozy and white. I leave you with some pussy willow as my parting gift:
 From Le Papier Studio, a lovely online shop that is a sponsor for SouleMama, a favorite blog.
photo credit: http://www.isledegrande.com/giimages15/cook-pussy-willow-closeup4-06.jpg
photo credit: http://www.isledegrande.com/giimages15/cook-pussy-willow-closeup4-06.jpg

Sunday, January 23, 2011

For the Love of Finnish Linen and Lace

I promised a peek at my linen-and-lace fabric bin and pillow cover when they arrived from Finland. I slowed down to relish and document every detail of opening the package and enjoying its contents. It was Christmas money well-spent. I'm so perfectly pleased! Thank you, tuuni, for rescuing this beautiful Finnish handwork and remaking it into something so lovely for my home! Thank you, Mom and Dad, for treating me to my new treasures!
 a customs declaration of handmade textiles--how delightful!
 my first-ever package from Helsinki!
 "brown paper packages tied up with string
these are a few of my favorite things!"
the tuuni sticker says:
TREASURES FROM THE PAST
UPCYCLED TO YOU WITH LOVE

 the fabric bin ironed up beautifully with my 16-year-old, crummy iron
linen and lace perfection!
the fabric bin nestled in its new home, holding compact discs for now
the pillow with gray doily

such rich texture woven into the linen

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Swooning over Scandinavian Style

 Tuuni linen and lace fabric bin
This week I discovered two new obsessions that I feel compelled to share with you, and both happen to be Nordic (Finnish and Swedish). I also discovered that Finland is not technically Scandinavian--it's Nordic--but I went with Scandinavian in the title of this post for alliterative flourish.

I was in uninspiring Food Lion on a cold, snowy eve, so the soft-white-and-cream-hued cover of my longtime favorite magazine, Victoria, looked especially inviting. I began subscribing to Victoria when I was 16 and was shocked and hugely disappointed when it ceased publication for a few years. It has since been reissued, and this is the first issue I've been moved to purchase. I'm so very glad I did because of the delightful discovery that the artists-in-residence for 2011 are four Charlottesville women! (Photographer Jen Fariello, designer Jennifer Carroll, and floral designers Pat Roberts and Sherry Spencer.) And because it introduced me to my new favorite Finn.

I spent an enchanted evening poring over my Victoria magazine and was in raptures over a very simple, white fabric bin with a strip of lace that was featured in it. I Googled the brand and found it was handmade by a Finnish woman with an Etsy shop called Tuuni, which "is a Finnish name for a girl. It refers to something peaceful and calm. My shop name 'Tuuni' also refers to a finnish word 'tuunaus' which is commonly used when making products from recycled materials. I guess the word in english would be re-purposing." The maker of these gorgeous fabric bins and pillows hunts for old, handmade Finnish lace and linens in secondhand shops in Finland. She rescues this heirloom handwork and mixes vintage fabric with modern sensibilities. I am so in love! I sent her half my Christmas money in exchange for one lovely linen and lace fabric bin, similar to the one in the photo above, and a pillow with a light gray doily stitched onto the front. I'll post a photo of it when it arrives in all its re-imagined, Finnish glory.

I may end up sending the rest of my Christmas money to another Nordic source of beauty and inspiration: Lotta Jansdotter! She's a Swedish designer and print maker who lives in Brooklyn. I like her a lotta (did you not see that coming?). She has a slew of books on sewing, decorating, stenciling and printing on everything from fabric to linoleum, and she creates stationery, sticky notes, tote bags, fabric calendars and more. Many of her designs are inspired by nature. I want at least three of her books, including one coming out in March that features artists and designers and their studios. (Studios are sacred spaces of wonder to me.) I also want the "Simple Sewing" book with enticing projects and "Handmade Living" that includes some of her favorite Swedish recipes (cinnamon buns, mead, Swedish meatballs), simple decorating tricks, favorite music albums and online shopping recommendations.  
 And I want a supply of her stationery and sticky notes for myself and to give to friends! I also want expensive leather boots, linen hemstitch napkins, a new rug, a tablecoth, a fabric tote bag, new pots and pans, a Fiestaware pitcher, a sewing machine, a crockpot, a trip to Europe and pretty much tons of other stuff too, but there's only so much a girl can do with $65. ;-)

Photo copied from: http://oneofakindgiftideas.blogspot.com
Photo copied from:  http://designspongeonline.com
Photo copied from http://www.kaboodle.com