Finally Some Pictures of My Craftyness

The rooster tote is a picture of the bag I made for my mom for Christmas using the instructions from Dacia Ray.

The pink tote is one I did from Amy Butler's Swing bag pattern for my niece for her birthday. The doll skirt was done by my 9 year old as a gift for her cousin's birthday.

A Little Behind

We just got our Christmas tree put up this week. I am still trying to get it decorated. I have realized that my dream of all the ornaments being homemade this year is just a dream. I have my calender marked to get started in April of next year. I do have a nice picture of some felt ornaments that me and the kids made for the tree and once I get batteries I will post a picture of how they look on the tree. I am actually trying to avoid going to the store until after Christmas. I hate trying to wade through the crowds for something so small.

Who am I kidding I tend to stay out of stores from November to January. I just do not like the crowds of potential viruses floating around. Yuck!!!

Oh Yeah these ornaments are great to do with the little ones because they can help too and being rough with them makes the process go quicker. I just took some of our cookie cutters shoved in some wool batting from Peace Fleece put a dab of ivory soap on it add some warm water and poke it with some chopsticks. 15 minutes later you have nice little ornaments. My 22 month old had a grand time helping out. It was great to finally have something that did not involve glue.

Something I finished

While I search for batteries for the camera so that I can download my pictures, I thought I would post one of some longies that I made for DS. Proof that I do actually do stuff.

I also did some socks for my older boy. Let me see if I can find a picture of those....

Goodbye...

Artist: Dan Fogelberg
LP/CD: The Innocent Age
Writer: Dan Fogelberg

An only child alone and wild
A cabinet maker’s son
His hands were meant for different work
And his heart was known to none
He left his home and went his lone
And solitary way
And he gave to me a gift I know
I never can repay
A quiet man of music
Denied a simpler fate
He tried to be a soldier once
But his music wouldn’t wait
He earned his love through discipline
A thundering, velvet hand
His gentle means of sculpting souls
Took me years to understand
The leader of the band is tired
And his eyes are growing old
But his blood runs through my instrument
And his song is in my soul
My life has been a poor attempt
To imitate the man
I’m just a living legacy
To the leader of the band
My brothers’ lives were different
For they heard another call
One went to Chicago
And the other to St Paul
And I’m in Colorado
When I’m not in some hotel
Living out this life I’ve chose
And come to know so well
I thank you for the music
And your stories of the road
I thank you for the freedom
When it came my time to go
I thank you for the kindness
And the times when you got tough
And, pap, I don’t think
I said, "I love you" near enough
The leader of the band is tired
And his eyes are growing old
But his blood runs through my instrument
And his song is in my soul
My life has been a poor attempt
To imitate the man
I’m just a living legacy
To the leader of the band
I am the living legacy
To the leader of the band.

Thanksgiving 2007

My Menu
Turkey
Mashed Potatoes with Gravy
Purple Hull Peas
Green Bean Casserole
Parker House Rolls
Cranberry Sauce
Green Tomato Relish

Today started with my husband making a nice fire in the fireplace. It was our first fire even though we have been here a few years. It was such a nice warming touch to the day. Helped give an atmosphere of coziness. I actually got up rather late this morning. Opps. Still was able to cook a nice breakfast and get the entire meal on the table by 1:00 PM so I was totally happy. The girls helped me with the cooking and since it is really sunny and nice, my sweet husband took the kids out to play and occupy them.
This is our third Thanksgiving in this house and we have been blessed to celebrate everyone of them here. Next year I hope to have my sis, her family, and my cowboy guru join us. I will have to bribe Cowboy with good food through out the next year to convince him but I feel up to the challenge. I plan to start tomorrow when I go get milk.
Gosh there is so much to be thankful for over the past year. We have all had good health in fact both Chris and I are healthier than we have been in years. He is happy with his job and I am thriving at home with the children. I am so blessed to be able to stay at home with my kids and even more blessed that I truly love all things domestic. We were blessed this year to have food on our table that came from our garden. I am most thankful for my husband. He is a gift from God. He is an amazing provider, loving Father and devoted husband. My cup truly overflows.
Praise God for all his blessings.

It's Fried Chicken!!!

Being a Southern girl the ultimate meal is fried chicken and thanks to Susan's recipe I can now fry chicken. It was melt in your mouth good. Much better than the last time I made it. Now I just need to master coconut cream pie.

Been Busy

Well things have been busy around here lately. I have been doing a lot of knitting, sewing, and cooking. I am almost done with my son's picky pants and have made a lot of progress on some socks for the kids and my sister. I am also working on some Halloween costumes for the kids. We are clearing out the last of the summer veggies from the garden and hopefully will put it to sleep this weekend. Gosh that reminds me; I need to get the garlic in the ground. We also plan to make a trip to see my Grandparents this weekend and I am getting really excited about that. I am taking them some purple hull peas from my garden 'cause Grandpa was so kind to give me food from his garden for years. I might just have to dig up some of his garlic to bring back just to make sure I have enough. It surrounds his entire garden and looks so pretty in the summer.

I do have a confession. Yesterday I took the day off. I was so tired I just watched old movies all day. 2 of my favorites Giant and Doctor Zhivago. I am an old movie junky. I have no interest in new movies unless there is a classic movie actor in it. It's almost like I was born in the wrong era. I especially love how my kids can watch the movies with me without me being afraid that they will be scarred for live. I also spent a ridiculous amount of time on Ravelry. I spend more time reading there then in my e-mails. Which is a good thing 'cause I am spending less money on coops. Well I think the little one is up off for now.

New Books

I love getting mail. Especially when it contains artsy craftsy stuff. I got a wonderful book through paperback swap by Good Housekeeping. The Illustrated Book of Needlecrafts. It has so much information that I am overwhelmed with excitement. I cannot wait to practice some of it with my girls. I also got 20 vintage knitting and crocheting books/magazines from the 1950's. I am so in love. I love the vintage styles. I cannot wait to get started on my new retro wardrobe. I love the styles and how feminine they are. I will hopefully get pictures up soon for everyone to see. They are in great shape. Off to do some reading.

Coming up for air

I have been super busy with crafting lately. Nearly got a finished pair of socks and a longy but my camera is dead. So with no pics to show what I have been doing with my time, I will show you some of my favorite things from Anthropologie's new catalog. I get a lot of inspiration from them. Okay they look a little wonky on this post but oh well. With 4 kids, a bunch of pets, and a spouse it is a miracle I ever post. LOL

Peace.

I have found my Guru

I have finally found my guru and in the most seemingly unlikely person too. He is none other than Bruce the milkman or as my 3.5 year old calls him "Cowboy". He is an incredibly compassionate person and full of kindness. I look forward to our weekly visits when I go to get my milk and a wee bit of wisdom all in one trip. He is kind enough to listen to me talk. And as a stay at home mom with 4 kids I do not get out very often so finding someone that actually will have a conversation with me is a really big thing. Did I mention he is also incredibly funny. Anyway this week we talked about many things but what really made me stop and think was when he talked of how he wanted his kids to laugh. I realized that I used to laugh a lot but it seems to have gone missing from my life. Then that made me stop and think about joy and whether or not I feel real joy in my life anymore.
My life changed the most when my husband and I decided to start a family. I know that adding kids changes things but I wasn't prepared for loosing my sense of self and my identity. My oldest is 9 and a half years old and it was a huge adjustment having her. I was so unprepared it is kinda sad. She nursed every 45 minutes around the clock for the first 3 months of her life. As you could imagine I was ever so slightly sleep deprived and I battled postpartum depression. I also was not prepared for the criticism I received for how I was doing everything wrong. I in my naivety thought that my family would be more supportive of my choices then they were. Don't get me wrong I did not expect to be perfect. I just was not prepared for the repulsion others would feel just knowing that I was breastfeeding and cosleeping. Things started getting better as far as I was feeling around the sixth month and by the time my oldest was a year old I was feeling almost my old self again . I was still trying to adjust to never getting to eat or sleep or read a book in a reasonable amount of time but I felt like I had made it through the worse and it would be smooth sailing ahead. So we decided to add on to our family.

We were blessed to find out that we were expecting twins when our oldest was around 18 months old. I had always known I would have twins so it was not that great a surprise to me. I felt such contentment and joy despite constant morning sickness and more criticism for having a huge family. At 23 weeks gestation I had a placenta abruption and went into labor. It was an incredibly peaceful and pain free labor even though I was given no meds. My sweet girls were born crying which was a great sign. We had them with us for a short 17 hours before we a had to let them go. I am grateful for every moment I had with them. One would think that this would be the lowest point of my life but it was actually a highlight. My husband and I became very close and for the first time in my life I realized just how strong our marriage is. I did still have the normal sadness that follows such a loss. For several months I felt at peace and we struggled with the question of do we try for more or do we stop at one. Well being somewhat insane we decided to try for more.

We had another healthy girl the next year and have since been blessed with 2 very healthy boys that really make life interesting. (Read choatic) I have added homeschooling and gardening. I try to cook all of our meals from scratch. I have taken up sewing and knitting just to have a hobby for all of my free time. I am still brestfeeding, cosleeping, and we also infant potty train too. I realized that I have gotten so busy being a mom that I have forgotten to enjoy the life that I have and to really stop and laugh. I am finally starting to revisit the artistic side of my life and I am on a journey of self discovery. I think this is one reason I stumbled on my Guru in the first place. I am finally ready to really live life and not just be on autopilot. I am also so done with all the naysayers in my life. I do love being a Mom but the biggest mistake I have made along the way was forgetting who Christy is and what she loves.

It's amazing that one would need to be reminded to have a good laugh every day. It is so important to enjoy the life we have and use it to the fullest to help bring joy to others. At one time in my life I had a really good sense of humor and made a lot of people laugh and it is time to bring that back.

Last weekend I did get away with my sister for a bit. It was the first time in about 6 months that we managed to spend some time together. So we went to an outdoor mall and of course it started raining. We both got soaked but it was funny and we did laugh a lot.

So thank you "Cowboy" for reminding me to laugh. I hope that wherever you are right now you are laughing too. Chances are that you are probably up to your eyeballs in cow shit and just thinking about that makes me laugh. Hmmm I think I might just need to get some milk soon.

Peace

What Fun!!!

An Anne of Green Gables KAL and Read along!!! Check it out here:
http://anneknits.blogspot.com/

For My Sister

Happy 14th

It's been a long time...

Since my last post. We had a round of illness that lasted for a few months. I am happy to report that all is well now.:-) I have been very busy in the garden and the kitchen. I was able to put up several quarts of tomatoes. Next week my mom is going to bring me some green beans and I hope to have several quarts of those. I have also had success making kefir and cream cheese. I made some of my salsa too. Here's the recipe:
Christy's Tomitilla Salsa
Tomitilla
Tomatoes
Red Onion
Cilantro
Lime juice
Salt
Garlic
Now cut up however much of the veggies you want. Season to taste with salt and lime juice. Cut up a cup of fresh cilantro and mix it in with the veggies and seasonings. Now enjoy with tortilla chips. If you have a lot of juice leftover freeze it and add it to chili or stews come winter.

I have done a wee bit of knitting lately too. I did my first heel on my first sock and I am very proud of it. It is a short row heel and not near as complicated as my mind tried to make it. Nap time is nearly over so I must leave. Be back soon...

Illness

I have been in bed now for 5 days. I have had 6 totally natural childbirths and not spent this much time in bed all 6 times combined. I have honestly never been so sick in my life. I have pneumonia and strep throat. My sweet wonderful husband has really stepped up and done a wonderful job taking care of the kids. I am very lucky to have him in my life.

Sunnyside Up Please

My sweet Dimitri is 3 years old and just teaches me so much about life that at times I feel overwhelmed with being the steward of his learning years. Yesterday he came to me and said eat. I was busy nursing his brother and told him just to wait a little bit and I would be right with him. I heard him go into the kitchen and then I heard the sound of pans. I thought he was just helping himself to the pasta on the stove because when he is hungry he wants his food pronto. So I figured well he took care of himself so that buys me a bit more time. When the little one was through nursing and taking a nap I went into the kitchen only to find two perfect eggs in a pan just waiting on me to cook them. What was so amazing is that he did not break the yolks and there was just a smidgen of eggshell in there. You see no one has ever told him that he cannot cook eggs so he was able to do at 3 what took me 30 years to learn or unlearn as the case may be. I realized that if no one puts limits on you then the world is without limitations. The beauty of it all is now he has that out of the way he is free to explore and learn so much more. He did not learn this by sitting in a sterile environment being told what it is he should be learning. He learned this by having a limitless environment where he can explore at will and try new things as he gets a whim too. The great thing is that no one calls a 3 year old fickle so he can change his mind and explore new things constantly instead of stagnating in a self imposed hell of I can only do one thing. I am 33 years old and a SAHM for now but some day I will be a nurse and a yoga instructor. I will paint silks and sew beautiful quilts. I will knit socks and see the world because I can learn from a 3 year old. As long as you believe it and can imagine it, it will be.

Got Yarn?

I have new yarn!!!

The pink is Tahki Stacy Charles cotton classic and the other is knitpicks yarn. I am going to use the pink to make a cute little chirt from knitty.com for my 5 year olds next birthday. The other is to be socks and a winter hat. I am still not sure what patterns I will be using for them but I could not pass up the price. $1.99 and 2.99 a skein and I had to give it a go. :-) Now I should be working on the UFO's that I already have on the needles or should I go make dinner?

Our Next Project

I am now embarking on teaching my daughter to sew.

I am very excited about this project. We will be doing the bunny from wee wonderfuls . These are the fabrics she picked out. The bunny print is a by Michael Miller, one of my favorite designers. The kicker is I am a novice sewer so this is going to be an interesting journey. I am hoping that we will be able to finish in a decent amount of time. I am amazed at how much I love to sew. More amazing is the fact that when I do get around to sewing I typically make up my own patterns. It is my dream to pass this excitement on to my girls because it is such a pleasure and such a boost to my confidence when I see what I am able to create. My project list is long and I know that I have enough fabric to last me decades. As with most things I put 200% into my obsessions so I went overboard on my stash. Luckily I have not gone as crazy with my yarn stash but that probably has more to do with lack of space than lack of desire. So lets not even get into my crossstitch stach. :-) Well the material is in the dryer drying so off to gather supplies in anticipation of starting a new project.

Spring is in the Air..

We had a late frost this year that put us back to winter but the flowers are finally blooming and they are beautiful. This is one of my Peonies. I love these flowers. Well up until a big rain that turns them all to mush. :-) My tomato plants are doing great. I have about 40 this year and I plan to actually put some tomatoes up for the winter. I also have 4 onion plants. Yep the frost got most of those. I have a ton of garlic. Hopefully soon the weather will be warm enough to get the purple hull pinkeyes in the ground. I am well on my way to being a gardener. The first step in my quest to self sufficiency. The next step Raw Milk!!! That's this weekend and this time I get to get 5 gallons. I am hopping to be able to at least make a little butter or something with my milk this time. Last time we drank it all. MMMM it is good. Well the kids are up and my time has come to an end. At least this morning I got 30 minutes to myself before they got up.

Peace.

Another Knitter is born

I got an earlier Mother's Day gift from my 8 year old daughter. She made me a glasses case. I am forever losing my glasses so not only is it practical it is also hand mde. Wonderful gift. She is really doing well with her knitting. I am so proud. Enjoy.

Picture Of New Yarn

Here is the much awaited picture of my sock yarn that my husband mistook for chocolate:

Yummy isn't it.:-)

Gotta Love Yarn

Yesterday I recieved some wonderfully wrapped yarn from Wear Your Art. My husband got a glimpse and thought it was chocolate. Nope for me it was even better it was sock yarn. It was wrapped so beautifully that he demanded he get to see it. Of course I got the yarn to knit him a nice pair of socks for Father's Day so he ruined his surprise. But let's face it I have 4 kids so he can expect them by Christmas at the earliest. This week was a great week for yarn in the mail. I also got some Aplaca yarn through my natural living swap group. It just might be my new favorite yarn. It is very soft and heavenly. Well I am going to give up hope for a bit on getting pictures up and will go ahead and post this so I do not have a naked blog. :-)