cabinet.

 

I can't remember if I ever showed this.........It is completely made from reclaimed wood. I picked it up at a little antique shop. I was either going to use it as an apothecary cabinet or a spice cabinet. Because I have not even started my apothecary inventory gathering, well, a spice cabinet it is. It is situated right next to the stove, in a weird little spot that is both too narrow and too shallow for a regular cabinet. The ledge on top is perfect for storing a few jars of salt.

To be honest with you, this is the way I wish my whole kitchen looked. Bright and white. Reclaimed and a little rustic. Old, well loved cabinets, painted with a million coats of paint, matching better the 103 years our home has been here. Maybe one day, I will convince my hubby, that his most important mission in life is to build me custom new/old kitchen cupboards. Right after he makes the new top for my harvest table, and the doors for my china cabinet........Busy man, that one is.

In the meantime, this little corner of my kitchen makes me smile a little more than the rest of it does. Still I am grateful always for a large, clean, and fully functional space.

Now I off to tidy that large, unclean, and functional space.

 

Have a blessed day, Tami

hundred dollar holiday?

Last summer I read a book called, "Hundred Dollar Holiday: The Case for a More Joyful Christmas" by Bill McKibben. I knew if I were to put any of his ideas into practice, I would have to read it and plan long before the holiday season actually hit.
When Eric sees me reading books like this he runs the other way, figuring that I am concocting all sorts of ideas that involve total gift deprivation. How can we spend only a $100.00 !!!! It would totally ruin Christmas for everybody, is what I hear.
Honestly, I have a large family, and while I don't think we can meet the $100.00 goal, my family can take some very important lessons away from this book.
Changes like this, when incremented slowly, seem to weave themselves into our traditions in a more gentle manner. This is how most of the successful changes happen in my family. I am the only one that likes to jump right in. If I am patient, and go slow, everybody comes around.
I really like the idea of giving of our time and talents. Each one of us can bless our loved ones in this way. The gift of time is so precious. Getting creative with a handmade coupon or certificate makes it even more special.
We love to make gifts. I am thinking that my kids can make gifts for one another. We usually let them spend $10.00 to buy gifts for each other, and that adds up. With a little forethought, I bet we can come up with great ideas.
We participate in 2 gift exchanges at Christmas. This year I am putting together breakfast baskets. Homemade granola, quick breads, teas, personalized mugs, that sort of thing. I am spending about $10.00 per basket.
I have 7 nieces/nephews that we usually buy a small gift for. I end up spending about $50.00 total for them. I am thinking that this year I will take that money and buy something through the Heifer Int'l website on their behalf. I will still give them their Christmas chocolate bar, and enclose a little note about Heifer. They are all teenagers, and seriously.......do they really even appreciate a $5.00 gift card somewhere? A family in a third world country appreciates our gift much more. A flock of chicks only costs $20.00. I am doing this.
Bill McKibben quotes:

"I can remember almost every present that some one's made for me since we started doing these Hundred Dollar Holidays . . . . I have no idea what gifts came in all those great piles under the tree in previous years.  They didn't attach themselves to particular faces, particular memories.  So the point is not to stop giving; the point is to give things that matter.  (Bold type mine)  Give things that are rare--time, attention, memory, whimsy.  We run short on these things in our lives, even as we have an endless supply of software, hardware, ready-to-wear."

Well, I am giving it a try, in a gentle way. I am willing to bet that my family won't notice, much.
Maybe we spend a few hundred dollars. It's still less, and much more mindfully and creatively spent. That's the important part for me.

Have a blessed Tuesday, Tami

aprons

I love aprons.
I nearly always have one on during the day. Aside from the obvious reasons to wear an apron (clean clothes), there is just something special about it. That little rectangle of cotton with strings makes me feel connected to the women throughout the generations who have worked hard to create home. An apron makes me feel like I have just donned the most fancy uniform, and I am ready to get down to business.
I have made aprons and been given aprons, I have thrifted aprons and refashioned them out of old skirts and dresses, and I love them all just the same.
I am in the mood to make a new apron.
Here is a little sampling of the aprons that are catching my eye.



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I love half aprons, but I do own a few other styles as well. I am thinking I will make another half one. My favorite apron is thread bare. Oh yes, I definitely need a new one. :~)
Check out my Pinterest page if you want to see more of my favorites.

I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July.

Have a blessed day, Tami

being inspired

I love this wallet. And this planner. Debbie of Homespun Living is so talented and I love her blog.

There are so many talented people out there, people that make up the ideas that inspire the rest of us. I am constantly inspired, and so thankful for it. It makes my creative life so much more interesting.

I love being inspired by food. It can get a little mundane in the kitchen cooking for a family. My family appreciates it when I come up with new ideas for meals and snacks especially.
I am constantly in awe of knitters that can come up with their own patterns. I would love to be a knitted pattern designer, what a cool job that would be. I can never leave well enough alone, and always sneak in modifications when I am knitting. It is the pattern-designer-wannabe in me.

Necessity happens to be the best inspiration in my house. If we need it, I'd like to come about it in a non-conventional, ingenious, eco-conscious, and resourceful way. Waste Not, Want Not - as they say.

What is NOT inspiring me right now. The rain. ;~)

Have a blessed day. Tami

urban farm

I just finished reading The Urban Farm Handbook by Jill Cottrell and Joshua McNichols. I waited for months to get it from the library, and it didn't disappoint. What I really liked, is that it is written by folks from the Pacific Northwest, specifically Seattle. Hooray, somebody that can tell me how to do this urban farming thing where I live. And seriously, when she was writing the book, she had goats on her urban lot! She now lives on acreage outside the city.
They give wonderful recommendations for short season vegetables. This is such a help. Many types of vegetables fail in our area because we have a short and rather mild growing season.  I actually have planted many of the varieties that they suggested and had great success. Yes.
The book also had information about all of the happenings around Seattle including urban farming, CSA's, pastured poultry and meats, and loads of people doing wonderful things for this world.
The book is divided into seasons. I loved Jill's seasonal schedule and the recipes.
I am going to try the Whole Grain Crackers, the Whole Grain Sandwich Bread, the Apple Breakfast Sausage, and the Pan Roasted Baby Potatoes and Carrots. I think I will try the crackers first, since I am on a cracker kick lately.
This is a book I may actually buy. It seems like such a wonderful resource.
I can't wait for my garden to start producing more than lettuce. It will take another month of so. I can be patient. :~)
Have a blessed day, Tami

my week

These days are keeping me busy, a late night post is in order.
Here are some little snippets from my week.

Gage and I made these very funny little candles at Pioneer Farms. We hand-dipped them ourselves. What a great experience we had there. I even milked a Jersey cow!

 I am tired of buying processed snack foods! So........I made crackers today. I used a few different recipes. The ones we liked the best were from here. I will definitely try them with whole wheat white flour next time. Graham crackers are up next.
I haven't made homemade Grapenuts in a long time. It is time for those, too. If I keep HM Grapenuts and granola around, it really cuts down on my family clamoring for store-bought cereal. This is a good thing.
Oh, and I also need to make yogurt. Looks like a busy Friday for me.

I am knitting a Baktus scarf. I have a bunch of sock yarn to use up, so I thought I would make a scrappy little scarf. It will be so nice and cozy.

I did my once-a-month bulk shopping yesterday. That always feels good to get done. This weekend is busy with baseball. We are wrapping up the season, and I think everybody is glad. Now bring on Summer vacation. Only 16 more school days!

Have a blessed day, Tami

eco-warbrobe

Every Spring I like to go through my closet. I don't have a large wardrobe, but I do like to replace the tired, with new to me pieces for the Spring and Summer. As soon as the temperature permits I am all about dresses and skirts. Even during the colder months you can find me in skirts with wooly tights and boots. I would like to be sure that each new addition to my wardrobe is chosen in the most eco-aware way. Buying used is always my first choice. I have an aversion to buying new, when there is so much clothing that is perfectly fashionable and usable that is already here and waiting to be found.

I would like to make or refashion a few skirts. I have always wanted to deconstruct a thrifted skirt for the fabric and remake it. I will make this a fun goal for the summer.
In the past, I have bought my t-shirts new. Second-hand cotton knits are usually so worn out by time they get to the thrift store, that they are not worth it. I have really liked Eddie Bauer for the fit and quality of their t-shirts. These days I am thinking a lot about where and how the cotton is grown and the devastating effects that it's production has. I will be making an effort to replace our cottons with organic, when the time comes. There are a lot of really great vendors on Etsy, and I can find sellers that are near to me pretty easily. There are also some really cute patterns out there for simple sleeveless pullover blouses. I would love a few of these in lightweight cotton, maybe refashioned from a man's dress shirt, or using the fabric from a thrifted skirt. So many options!

I am hoping to get one more season out of my casual sandals. I will definitely be replacing them with something sturdy that will survive the beach, walking, camping, and everyday wear (and last for many summer's). That is a tall order. I will still try and find a pair that are gently used, but if all fails I will buy new at a deep discount and hopefully through a earth-friendly producer.

To be the most frugal and eco-conscious, I would prefer to buy nearly everything used. Even yarn can be reclaimed by unravelling a sweater (I have done this and it works great). I stop short of undergarments, which for obvious reasons, I prefer new. It can be quite daunting to buy goods in a responsible way, there is so much we don' t know about the way things are produced. The more aware I become, the more I desire to keep these matters close to home, where I can be sure of how they are made. This is not possible in all situations, but every little bit helps.

I am just so happy that the weather is warming up, which means that I might actually get to wear these clothes that I am dreaming about.

Have a blessed day, Tami

inspiration

I finally got around to starting my inspiration notebook. Again, I am using a marbled composition book.
I am thinking of having 2 main sections. I want a place to put my favorite knitting patterns, the ones that are tried and true. I also want a section to paste my magazine clippings and print-outs. Mostly these are for home inspiration. I want lots of space to doodle, write notes and list ideas.

I love having a place to put all these inspirations, and using a book makes it feel a little like art journaling. Anytime I can make something into an artist expression, that's the project for me.

Have an inspired day, Tami

rainbow bracelet

I made this bracelet for the youth auction at church. I think it turned out pretty great. It is called a rainbow salvation bracelet. Each one of the colors represents as aspect of our Christian faith.
(gold~God, black~sin, red~blood, white~forgive, clear~purity, green~growth, and blue~spirit)
There are many wonderful tutorials all over the Internet to make these. Mine is totally free-form, I used what I had on hand. I pray that somebody loves it and takes it home. Better yet, maybe they'll give it to someone they love. Maybe I will make more and give them to those I love. Yes.

Have a blessed day, Tami

a knitting basket

I take my knitting projects with me everywhere. I really wanted a basket with handles that was sturdy enough to stand up on it's own. I found a lovely basket at a local thrift store. It is exactly what I wanted, but really needed to be lined to keep my knitting projects from snagging. I love the size, it is the perfect for hauling around an in-progress sweater and a skein of yarn.
Now for the liner........

A thrifted 1980's shetland wool sweater. I felted the sweater, stitched in an oval piece where I cut the sweater below the armholes, which created a flat bottom to the liner,  and cut 2 slits near the top so it would slip over the handles. Pretty simple.

I stitched up the cut I made for the handles with gray wool yarn.
I may do a little more finishing work, like a blanket stitch around the bottom edge and maybe some embellishment. Maybe even a few pockets. I love how it turned out, practical and pretty.
Have a blessed day,
Tami

::for baby::

My littlest niece is due to be born here in a few weeks.
It has been 8 long years since we've had a baby born into the family. Everybody is so excited.
It is their firstborn. Having my first seems like a lifetime ago.

My sister's baby shower was yesterday. Anya and I went and had a little girl time. Anya is the youngest of the cousins and of our close friends, so she hadn't been to a shower.
She loved it! And she won a game, too.

I made this little knitted mouse from a pattern I found on Ravelry.
I think it came out quite well, and hopefully baby will love it.
I also added a few treasures that I thrifted. A cute vintage pottery mug and a Beatrix Potter treasury.
I made another of my handmade boxes out of 12x12 scrapbook paper. It turned out the perfect size for the baby mug. I will definitely make more of these in the future.

We had a great day and it was so wonderful to be with family and friends.
I can't wait to hold that baby when she's born!

Have a blessed day.
Tami

::look what I made::

{I love the look of this vintage book}

One of my surprises of Christmas happened after Christmas.
Specifically a fabulous after Christmas sale.

{loving Pandora indie radio}

Eric bought me a Kindle Fire !

Wow is this thing cool.
Of course, I needed a case.
And of course, I had to make one.

Here it is.

I love it!
I took a vintage book, ripped out the guts, and made the inside look pretty.
With a bit of hot glue, fabric scraps, cardboard, elastic, and foam ~ Voila!
I didn't find any tutorials on the subject, so I had to rely on a few photos out there for how to construct it. I think it came out very well.

{can you spot it on the bookshelf ?}

It sits on the bookshelf and looks like a vintage book.
Yes.

Blessings, Tami

::Skirts for My Girl::

 

I had given up hope that my daughter would ever let me make clothes for her again.

She has always had very strong opinions about how she is dressed.
When she was 5, (she is now 8) I made her some clothes for preschool.
I upcycled, refashioned, and made a few new things. It was so much fun.
At 8, she is less easy to persuade.

I offered to buy her 3 pieces of fabric from our favorite little store in Country Village,
called  Keepsake Cottage Fabrics. The bribe worked.
The next challenge is to see if she will actually wear them!
I am hoping that if she has enough creative input and participation,
that she will love them and want to wear them.
This would be the start to something very cool for she and I. Making clothes together. Yes.

Blessings, Tami

::Family Crest::

We worked on a very special family art project over Christmas break.

I was inspired to do this project in two ways. I love the idea of having a family crest to establish the identity and values of our family. I was also inspired by Soulemama's "family art" post from awhile back. This is what we came up with. I love it!

Each member came up with words and images to contribute that were meaningful to them. It was a slightly structured endeavor. I had to really keep my *design eye* under control in order to not hinder any creativeness on the kids parts. It 's hard to give up control.......but freeing at the same time.

I painted the background and the crest, the tree branches with the little birds were my contribution, along with the words, "Live Simply, Expect Little, Give Much, Love Extravagantly".

Eric chose his favorite quote by Albert Einstein, "Imagination is more important than knowledge."
I am so pleased with the ideas that the kids came up with.

We are almost finished with it. Just a few more family values to write around the edges of the crest.

This has become family crest, meets family rules and values, meets mixed-media collage art.

The kids are so excited to display this for everyone to see!

Have a blessed day,
Tami

::Mr. Talented::

{This is a forever piece of furniture, I love it so much!}

{Eric left all of the cool knots and holes)

{Reclaimed pallet wood}

{My Mama Box ~ a place for all the letters, notes, pictures, and *paper love* my kids bestow upon me}

     Have I ever mentioned how talented my husband is ? A jack-of-all-trades man for sure.
Last summer, he made me the most beautiful console table out of mostly reclaimed lumber.
It was an attempt to distract me from the *ahem* very large black box hanging on the wall
above it......need I say more. Well, it worked because every time I walk by, I take notice of his work of craftsmanship, and nothing else.

He also made me a super deep medicine cabinet and mirrored door for for our master bathroom, out of reclaimed pallet wood and a reused mirror. So very cool right?

A few Christmases ago he made me my most cherished piece, my Mama Box.
I am blessed and honored to receive all manner of paper bits, I love you's, and handrawn masterpieces throughout my mothering career. I felt like I needed a special place to keep them, where the kids could deliver their special creations, and where I could have easy access to savoring them. The box sits atop my cedar chest that I use as a bedside table. At some point, I plan to paint something wonderful on the outside of it, until then it is a distressed black color.

A great guy, my husband. I love that he makes us very cool furniture for our home, but I also love that he takes the time to seek out materials unconventionally. Resourcefulness is one of the many things that I love about that man.
Have a blessed day!
Tami

::Christmas 2011::

{my beautiful new pendant from my family~a peace dove}

Here's a recap of the gifting that went on around here.

Some handmades made their way into the mix. I would have liked to have done more, maybe next year. I really enjoyed making monogram mugs using thrift store mugs and a porcelain pen. (via Designmom) On Christmas morning, the mugs were waiting for the kids with hot cocoa mix and a candy cane.
I knitted a Mario hat for a Rafe (the Mario graphic based on this pattern) and knitted a tiny doll cardigan for Anya's new dollie. We made homemade gift boxes out of scrapbook paper (instructions here), and some new Christmas Eve birdy earrings for my Anya.
My husband and kiddos gave me the most beautiful silver dove pendant and farmer's egg crates (found here) for all of the beautiful eggs our chickens give us. My sweetie daughter upcycled a thrift store bracelet by adding the charms. This was a special mama gift for me and I love it. I am hoping that she will bring me little treasures to put on it every so often.
Anya is the one who gets the most into gift giving. On Christmas morning she makes sure that everybody has lots of little treasures to open. Chocolate bars, nearly spent gift cards, plastic toy rings, handmade ornaments, coins ~all wrapped~(with gift tags) something for each of us. She is so special in that way. Always thinking of others.
The chunky turquoise and red coral bracelet ~ my 81 year old grandma made this for me~She is hip!
The few electronics and games that we got seemed to rule Christmas Day........I am okay with that.
Hubby Eric is custom fabricating a recumbent bike, so we got him a bike seat and wireless odometer. He was happy.
I purchased some doll dresses on Etsy ( here ) for Anya's doll to go with the sweater I knitted.
Grandma knitted a doll blanket and made a pillowslip. She is in doll heaven.
The boys, did I already mention electronics and games? Oh, and BB guns ~ enough said.

We had such a lovely Christmas. It already feels like it's weeks in the past. I love the peace and quiet after the holidays, but I wish Christmas would linger a little longer.

Have a very Happy New Year's Eve!

I pray that 2012 holds many wonderful memories to be made, new things to learn, and lots of special times with friends and family.

Blessings in the new year!
Tami