Stitches in Play

makin' treats

Two out of three kiddos are exchanging halloween treats in school this Friday.  There will be cupcakes and candy galore so we decided to combine:

ribbon...

with stickers and gift tags...

to make bookmarks for all.  We need 42 bookmarks in total so I will be making lots more of these tomorrow - good thing they are quick and fun to make!

The middle schooler, who no longer has classroom parties, made one bookmark for himself and then created this arrangement on the kitchen table.  Birds are Martha Stewart crow silhouettes.

What are you handing out to friends or classmates this halloween?

kitty, curtains and quinoa

I noticed that kitty is having trouble getting a good day's rest in my bed.  I figured it may be due to all the light that's streaming though the nearby window.

So I sewed curtains for our bedroom out of this great fabric adorned with orange birdies.  (Fabric is Dolce by Tanya Whelan)

Kitty loves his new curtains.  Photos coming as soon as the sun comes out.  In the meantime, It's Monday so my kiddos are home and we're off to our favorite hiking trail in the park.

On an unrelated note, for the past year I have cut down on my meat consumption by not eating meat for breakfast or lunch.  I've been trying to come up with quick, healthy and yummy meat free meals.  We eat lots of beans and rice + roasted veggies.  I also eat eggs on whole wheat toast + salad.  I recently discovered (quite by accident) that a thinned down hummus makes a thick and creamy salad dressing full of fiber and protein.  Just blend a can of garbanzo beans with its liquid, a couple tablespoons of olive oil, juice of 1 lemon, 1 garlic clove + salt and pepper until smooth and pour over your favorite salad.

Above is our lunch of quinoa cooked in chicken broth + stir fried napa cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, onions and garlic.  Quinoa is a healthy substitute for rice and the cabbage mixture is my version of a deconstructed egg roll - all the filling without any of the wrapping or frying.  I'd love to hear about your quick and meat free go-to lunches.

Happy Monday to you!

i sewed a table runner

This Sunday Dad and the boys went to a nearby field to meet up with some other boys and fly their remote controlled planes.  While they were away the girls set the table in anticipation of the yummy Chinese food that said boys would bring home upon their return.

But setting the table for such a feast is no simple task.  First mama and the girl had the clean up the Monopoly game that was occupying the entire table.  They joked about how it had become their favorite game since the girl learned to count money, give change, and purchase the properties that had eluded her brothers so that she could sell those same properties back to them for far more than their true worth.  They then fetched the "chicken plates" that they purchased at tjmaxx over the summer.  (Mama and the girl are aware that these plates do, in fact, depict roosters but around here it's all about the girls and hence they are referred to as the chicken plates.)  Then the girl set out the John Derian insect tumblers that she insisted mama get the moment she spied them at target.  Because she was convinced that simple milk and juice would taste magical when consumed from a cup bearing the image of a ladybug and butterfly. This proved to be true.

Once the table was set, mama and the girl felt it was a bit bear.  So they sewed a table runner.  Out of some fun fabric that mama has had on a shelf for a year - maybe two.  And they made it reversible because the girl found that the yellow fabric would compliment the gourds and mini pumpkins on the table that she loved to arrange and rearrange over and over until they were just so.

The girl also thought that some felt leaves would add the perfect touch to the fall table awaiting Chinese food.  So she and mama cut leaf shapes out of felt and the girl arranged them on the runner, just as she had her pumpkins.  Mama considered sewing down the leaves but decided that doing so would make the table runner more difficult to launder.  And in the world of accidents, spills and mishaps in which this mama resides, easy laundering is of utmost importance. 

After all, beauty is in the simple things.  And in quick projects, crafted with eager kiddos that create lasting memories.  And that is why I sewed a table runner. 

since i was here last

I didn't mean to be away for this long.  But I have been sick - fever, stomach, headache, sicker than I have been in years sick.  I'm much better today.

Here's a photo of my nightstand.  I'm hoping to spend a few moments with that yarn today but if all I manage to get done is drinking the orange juice and getting to the grocery store I will be grateful. 

Since I posted last I have been:

Volunteering a ton with the school fundraiser.

Logging hundreds of orders and the accompanying checks, cash and change.

Wondering why people would pay for a fundraiser item with envelopes full of change or rolls of quarters.

Figuring out how to prepare dinner for my children without touching the food too much so that they don't catch this yucky virus.

Making yummy soup out of leftover macaroni, a store bought roasted chicken, chicken broth from trader joe's, and the only three veggies in the fridge.

Before I became sick on Monday night I spent the weekend:

Eating a wonderful picnic lunch with my kiddos and friends after Hebrew school.

Laughing about how all our kiddos have gotten so big - either that or the park equipment has seriously shrunk.

Sharing some stash yarn with a good friend.

Designing a knitting pattern.

Recycling in the most wonderful of ways.  Between the hens and the guinea pigs we have not thrown out a scrap of food in months.

Getting my hair cut.

Drinking hot chocolate with my kiddos at the coffee shop while waiting for the next taekwondo class to begin.

Doodling messages on the paper napkins while we waited for our drinks to cool down.

Watching my kiddos enjoy their taekwondo classes.  In addition to taking their black belt classes, my boys now help teach the younger students and I love how patient they are and how they always remember to say "good job" to the students after they get their forms right.

Visiting a wonderful art fair exhibit with my kiddos.

Loving that they had so many hands-on exhibits for the children to touch and create.

Grateful I was able to purchase a small piece of art for each of my kiddos.  Ezra chose this carved wood "bud vase."  The minute we arrived home he set out into the woods in search of the perfect tree branch.  Then he arranged it just so on the desk in his room.  He has since told me numerous times how much he loves it and how happy it makes him each time he looks at it.

Enjoying more quality time with my kiddos.  This year, due to budget cuts, they do not have school on two to three Mondays per month.  We spent the day...

Playing chase through the woods.

Riding our bikes around the neighborhood.

Collecting leaves in our pockets.

Carving and whittling in pink safety glasses.

Organizing our art/craft/school work drawers.

Stopping by the store for some Halloween decorating supplies.

Pausing for turtles crossing the road.

Thinking how thankful I am for all the wonderful comments you left on my last post.

Hoping that I had more than one cover to give away.

But this cover is going to dani@little fists who wrote:

 

Oh, I'd love this! Thank you, thank you, thank you for the chance!

There are so many great blogs out there...here are a few that I love:

Cherry Tomato: http://cherrytomato.typepad.com/cherry_tomato/

Mandy Gerth: http://mandygerth.blogspot.com/

Elsewhere Living: http://elsewhereliving.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Tip of the iceberg, I know.

 

I'm off to restock the fridge before Ezra gets home in a little over an hour.  There are 1,440 minutes in a day - hope you enjoy each and every one.

giving away my cover

Remember this fall cover from serveral posts back?

Well turns out that, in my excitement over a new fall sewing project, I cut way too many fabric squares. 

So the other night I sewed all those squares together into rows.  Then I sewed the rows into three more fall covers.

And it just so happens that, while the rest are spoken for, I have one cover to give away.

So just leave a comment on this post by midnight on Tuesday October 12 for a chance to win. 

And to mix things up a bit please include in your comment the name of a crafty/decorating blog that you find inspiring.  This does not have to be your favorite blog of all time - just one that you enjoy and would like to share.  The goal is to create a small reference list of inspirational goodness that we can all enjoy.

I will start this list off by sharing a new-to-me blog that I have found very inspiring.  Go check out Made by Joel to see why.

Have a wonderful weekend!

And look at all this goodness that spilled out of my trader joe's bag today...

Happy Fall to you all!

seeking beauty

It's cold and it's raining.  In fact, it's been raining for nearly a week.  I set out today to take pictures of some fall decorating in the dining room but my house was dark.  I intended to share a new project but there wasn't enough light to take photos.  So I took my camera out in the rain - in search of beauty and inspiration...

 

 




 

And look what all this rain brought us...  The following photos were taken on Saturday, during a much needed break from the rain.
 



 

Besides getting to devour all these veggies, this rain has been a great excuse for ignoring all the weeding and mowing that needs to be done.  This weekend, when I wasn't driving the kiddos to taekwondo, or Hebrew school, or a birthday party I focused on getting the inside of my house ready for Fall.  Because, rain or shine, Fall is my favorite season.