It’s another year of handmade Valentine’s Day cards. I’m still trying to keep things simple and fun for my daughter. We have less to make this year (only 22!), which is good because it was a struggle to get through all of the (34!) pencil cards last year.

I [...]]]>

It’s another year of handmade Valentine’s Day cards. I’m still trying to keep things simple and fun for my daughter. We have less to make this year (only 22!), which is good because it was a struggle to get through all of the (34!) pencil cards last year.

I enlisted some help from technology for these. She wrote her Valentine’s Day message once, I scanned it, printed out a bunch of little versions, and glued them to the back of these cute heart-shaped notepads. I told her that she could decorate them anyway she liked and she chose to just color in the hearts. That was fine with me. We knocked these out Sunday morning and have plenty of time for her to make a few special cards for friends and family.

notes: I found the notepads at Target in the seasonal aisle. Here are cards from past years:

• pencil cards at age 4
• paper flowers a la Martha Stewart at age 3
• hearts cut from original artwork at age 2
• valentine’s day art at age 1

Are you making Valentines this year? Share in the comments!

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Join in the fun here.

I usually start with, “What are [...]]]> I’ve been volunteering in my daughter’s school library for over 4 months now. My job is to help the kids pick out books. Not to choose topics, but to help them locate different subjects and authors and to use a shelf marker when browsing so books stay in order.

I usually start with, “What are you interested in reading today? We have lots of books on [insert holiday] and [insert season].” There are usually a few takers on those subjects. Also popular are the usual suspects — Curious George, Scooby Doo, Clifford, Maisy — and the occasional requests for animals and fish. However, the overwhelming answer for boys is football and superheroes. For girls, it’s princesses and fairy tales.

I found it interesting that girls never ask for books about superheroes, especially since I grew up watching Super Friends, so I asked my daughter about it. “Mom, I want to read about girls.” Fair enough. Most superheroes are guys. In fact, I could only find one Wonder Woman book in the entire Easy Reader superhero section at Barnes and Noble.

So I set out to see if I could find some superheroine books. It wasn’t easy, but I found a few great stories that my daughter and I really enjoyed. These girls and women are pretty amazing, even without capes. Ok, so one has wings and one sewed herself racing clothes, but you know what I mean. (All book links go to amazon.com)

My Name Is Not Isabella: Just How Big Can a Little Girl Dream?: My daughter really liked how Isabella imagined herself as great women in history: Sally Ride, Annie Oakley, Rosa Parks, Marie Curie and Elizabeth Blackwell. I like that she was learning about women who changed the world without needing a super power. There’s a similar book for boys, My Name Is Not Alexander, which is on our to-read list.

Ladybug Girl: I thought that this was going to be a superhero book, but it’s more about creative and imaginative play. When her mom and dad are too busy to play and her brother says she’s too little, Lulu becomes LadyBug Girl and invents her own fun. (She does save some ants in distress.) I still liked it and so did my daughter. We’ll definitely be checking out the other books in the series.

Tillie the Terrible Swede: How One Woman, a Sewing Needle, and a Bicycle Changed History This by far was my daughter’s favorite book of the three. It’s the story of Tillie Anderson who came to America from Sweden and worked as a seamstress before becoming an avid bicyclist. After realizing that her long skirts were getting in her way, she used her sewing skills to make a “shocking” pants outfit more suited to riding. Today she’s considered the world champion of women’s racing.

What are your favorite superheroine books? Share in the comments!

I’ve been going through pictures from our East Coast vacation and thought I might do a few moments from the past month. This was on New Year’s Eve in Columbia, MD. I’m loving the sparkling white bokeh.

. . . . .

My daughter and I have been doing a lot [...]]]>

I’ve been going through pictures from our East Coast vacation and thought I might do a few moments from the past month. This was on New Year’s Eve in Columbia, MD. I’m loving the sparkling white bokeh.

. . . . .

My daughter and I have been doing a lot of reading, lately. I’m going to try and get caught up on my book reviews for the blog. Plus, I haven’t forgotten about the craft book giveaways. More of those to come, too!

Yesterday I started unraveling this sweater. When I detached the neck, I thought, “This would make a beautiful cowl.” I slipped it around my neck. Lovely. I doubled it up. Toasty.

It’s the fastest cowl I’ve ever made. In fact, it kind of looks like the [...]]]>

Yesterday I started unraveling this sweater. When I detached the neck, I thought, “This would make a beautiful cowl.” I slipped it around my neck. Lovely. I doubled it up. Toasty.

It’s the fastest cowl I’ve ever made. In fact, it kind of looks like the Burberry-inspired cowl by The Garter Girl, which just happened to be on my to-knit list.

Sorry for the mobile phone pics. It’s been a busy week.

I love this sweater. I found it at the thrift store during a 99 cent sale last year. The colors are so pretty: light gray blending into warm oatmeal. It’s a soft wool acrylic blend that doesn’t need to be hand washed.

It’s too big for me, so I [...]]]>

I love this sweater. I found it at the thrift store during a 99 cent sale last year. The colors are so pretty: light gray blending into warm oatmeal. It’s a soft wool acrylic blend that doesn’t need to be hand washed.

It’s too big for me, so I knew I’d be unraveling it, but to make what? It took along time, but I finally found something: the Speckled Shrug. I’ll admit that I’m not a big fan of how it looks finished on Lion Brand’s website, but my friend Jess knit it up and I love hers.

I’m so excited to have a project for this yarn. Let the unraveling begin!

Wow. I first posted about these muffins over three years ago. They have really stood the test of time. If my daughter had her way, we’d make a batch every week. With a seal of approval like that, I figured they would make good “in-a-jar” gifts.

Originally, I had planned to [...]]]>

Wow. I first posted about these muffins over three years ago. They have really stood the test of time. If my daughter had her way, we’d make a batch every week. With a seal of approval like that, I figured they would make good “in-a-jar” gifts.

Originally, I had planned to give each mix with the recipe printed on a little card. But after attending a local craft retreat, I was inspired to print the recipe on a potholder instead. (Thanks for the idea, Kaitlyn!) A few things:

• I bought the Santa jars on clearance the year before. They were the perfect size for the muffin mix and a little bag of mini chips.
• I made an oven-mitt style potholder using fabric and thermal batting from my stash.
• I ordered special transfer paper for this project. Because it will be used near an oven, I chose a kind that can withstand the heat of an iron after it’s been transferred to fabric.

This was a fun gift to make and give. If you ever do in-a-jar gifts that go in the oven, a potholder is a great way to share the recipe.

project notes: Insul-Bright insulated lining, SuperSoft inket transfer paper, original muffin post, in-a-jar gift ideas

I made two different kinds. Here are my notes:

I saw this rainbow at the Cincinnati airport and snapped a [...]]]> Last night I slept in my own bed and it was wonderful. I’ve been all over the MD/DC/VA area the past week visiting family and friends. No matter how much fun I have while away, it’s always nice to come home.

I saw this rainbow at the Cincinnati airport and snapped a shot right before we boarded our plane. I’ve been thinking a lot about this picture over the past week. Maybe it’s because while I was away, we ushered in a new year. I’m not one to make long lists of resolutions, but I have a feeling 2012 is going to be filled with creativity and inspiration.

It’s good to be back.