Homemade Fun: review and give-away!

The modern child experiences quite a different world than the one I remember growing up. Technology has wonderful benefits, no doubt, but I do feel nostalgic for simpler times... and try to re-create it with my children. I believe in the magic of old fashioned games and the teaching powers of classic crafts. I know I'm not alone. Much to my delight Rae Grant, author of Crafting Fun and Cooking Fun, has just published her third book: Homemade Fun 101 Crafts and Activities to Do with Kids. This book encapsulates and revitalizes many traditional childhood favorites.
With a wonderful selection of:

• hand sewing and embroidery
• paper crafts
• making jewelry
• baking
• building things
• toy, games, and pastimes

Rae Grant is a book designer by trade, and she did an absolutely exquisite job of  incorporating vintage illustrations into each easy to read page... making this a treat for parents, but very inviting and accessible to children.

This is the kind of book an older child will love working from independently and just what a parent or grandparent of the younger set needs for a little inspiration.

Could the timing be more perfect for (creating) those lazy days of summer? I'm so thrilled that I was sent a complimentary copy at the very beginning of our vacation! Thanks Rae! I've read it cover to cover and have bookmarked several projects right off the bat. The sewing section is just what my daughter is hungry for at the moment. I'm sure you'd love to get your hands on a copy yourself... Rae's publishers are generously offering 2 copies to two lucky readers who leave a comment in this post by Wednesday at 5pm EST. I'd love to hear what one your favorite childhood games or crafts were... so feel free to share if you're so inclined! I loved jacks, both  traditional and the kind with intersecting rings (no ball).  I can almost feel the scrape of the sidewalk on my hands as I imagine grabbing the last 10! How about you?

For more wonderful crafts and ideas check in on Rae Grant at My Little Hen.

welcome home/barn!

When I wrote about our summer plans, I left out the best part. My mother returned last night to her barn! She's been many places since she last rested her head in her big white bed, and we're so thrilled to have her where we want her the most:  with US! My children began the count down long ago, and the anticipation built like crazy as we counted the minutes... seconds until she pulled up the gravel driveway yesterday evening. Singing, dancing and hugging... showing off new haircuts, yo yo tricks, and welcome notes on every blackboard surface in that barn!

You've expressed much enthusiasm about both my mother and her "home" over the past two years, I'm looking forward to sharing her and a few more of our barn projects as the summer unfolds. Right now, she and my daughter are introducing the two new Whimsies that she brought to the rest of the collection... and I'm feeling so appreciative of this moment. All of our lives are ever changing and shifting, and this is one of those dips into sweetness that I'm savoring fully.

outdoor living room

We spend a lot of time on our deck during the warmer months. Half of it is covered, and it becomes a quiet shady spot for reading, chatting, handwork, snacking...  general hangin' out.  Each year, I vow to give it the special attention it deserves (you know, spiff it up), but our collection of "garage sale" outdoor furniture  has always felt like such a mish mash and a mismatch.  Textiles often have the potential to create a sense of cohesiveness.

I used leftovers from a drop cloth to tuck over the cushions on the $10 wicker couch (last year's big score!) and create some pillow backings and seat cushions. It's rugged (yet soft) and neutral. Then I got brave and used some pieces from my beloved barkcloth collection.

A dear friend generously passed on her amazing fabric stash when she moved to Europe last year... I think she'll be happy to see it finally being put to such perfect use.


As I took these photos it dawned on me that not most but every single item on this deck has been thrifted or handmade.  It would have been easier (although certainly not cheaper) to buy some new shiny deck toys...  I'm very content that I made do. Although our wallets can sometimes dictate what we can't have, the limitations also stretch our creativity and ALWAYS inspire something unique and out of the box. I have a couple more ideas for this space, so don't be surprised if you see our outdoor living room again soon.

plans

Today marks the beginning of summer vacation for my children! Have I come up with a plan? Absolutely not! Sure, we have swim lessons scheduled, our favorite day camp, Primitive Pursuits, is on the calendar along with some Sailing Camp... but for the next couple of months minimal planning IS the plan. I want the days to stretch out in front of us with room for spontaneous adventures, getting beautifully bored, and uninterrupted reading time in the hammocks. That's my "plan" for my children... the one for myself revolves around it, obviously. In order to make more room for our play, I'm temporarily scaling back in a myriad of ways. I'll be discontinuing my (much loved and appreciated) sponsorship program for July and August and am learning to say "not right now, but thank you"  to the many requests that land in my inbox. I will continue to regularly share any exciting projects I'm making or doing... but sometimes several days may slip by (like this week), where I will be quiet on the blog front. If you're ever curious where I've disappeared to, Twitter is usually a good way to find me... as well as a place to share a little tweet or two together.
Soooo, hello sweet summer... YOU are my favorite season, it's no secret!

p.s. I'll be back later this morning with details on my "new" pillows in the hammock swing above.

summer has arrived!

We celebrated our favorite season all weekend and then officially ushered it in this morning with some yipping and cheering! Happy Solstice!

Day lilies are bursting at the side of the road...

Warm rainstorms are creating perfect puddles for dancing in...

Toads  Bullfrogs are caught and released...

The hammock has an open invitation...

The badminton net is up and ready...

Welcome summer, we're so happy to see you! Are you ready for this new season? What are you looking forward to?

give-away winner announced

 Everyone is a winner today! Modern Organic Fabrics has invited each of you to take a 10% discount off your purchase from now through Sunday, the 20th. Just enter this code: Maya10  when you check out. They're also having a wonderful sale on Cloud9's Beyond the Sea fabric to celebrate it being featured in the next issue of Martha. Time for some sewing!

Now for our very lucky friend,  Laura :
"I like your advice to do some positive thinking! I've got a lot of baby/maternity/soon-to-be-big-sister sewing on my mind right now."
well it must have worked because you've just won a  $50 gift certificate to go shopping for anything your heart desires in the Modern Organic Fabrics' shop. Congratulations! Have fun for all of us, please! I'll send you an  e-mail to connect you to your certificate.
 Thanks Melanie (Modern Organic Fabrics)!

Happy Friday! 

pesto potato salad

This is just so easy... and so crazy good, I really had no choice but to share it with you.  Make it for yourself and you might be shouting from rooftops, too. Bring it to your next picnic, and you'll be a hero!

Pesto Potato Salad

• quartered potatoes: boiled
• snap peas
• fresh dill *
• sweet red onion chopped
• pesto dressing 

 Toss all ingredients together in a bowl and sprinkle on any added salt or coarse ground pepper to taste.

Pesto Dressing

Your favorite pesto diluted with lemon juice, a light vinegar such as rice or champagne, and a touch of sweetness like maple syrup.
This is what I combined in my food processor:

• basil
• garlic clove
• olive oil
• handful of pumpkin seeds (wonderful change of pace from pine nuts and walnuts)
• lemon juice
• vinegar
• salt
• maple syrup

Capers might have been a nice addition to the salad, but I didn't think about it until just now. Next time. However, we did serve it along side pickled beets... perfection, really!

* I have somehow always feared combining a dish that had both basil and dill... so glad I got over it, because this one WORKS!

Oh, Sweet June!

Somewhere between the glorious strawberries, crunchy peas, and warm thunderstorms (complete with rainbows), I've slipped into a lovely dream-like state.  June euphoria has set in, and even our busy end-of-the-school-year schedule can't rock my boat. I manage the long cold winters out here, simply for the love of the wild beauty/intensity of our Northeast summers. In short, this is my absolute favorite season, and I'm so happy!

And yes, my berry bowls  from last year only increase the joy. I know that Melissa, of Bridgman Pottery, can only make so many of them (and they do seem to sell out instantly). So, I'm not trying to flaunt an item I see is currently unavailable, but to bring attention to something else thoughtful in her shop. Each of her pieces containing the word HOPE are charity items for Haiti. With all my love for that very special word, I had to tell you!

my grandmother::creative therapy

A couple months back I was invited to be a guest artist on Creative Therapy. Thanks Karen! I was asked to choose a prompt or catalyst for creating a piece. I chose "who is your favorite relative" instantly. My grandmother is my hero, as you may know... if not, you might like to read this. Her 89th birthday was coming up, so I made this collage as her gift. I even got to deliver it  in person... that was back in February! She hung it where she can see it when she awakens each morning... a reminder of a life well lived and of a chapter so long ago, when her body was young and strong and small, chubby hands were constantly wrapped around her neck or pulling on her skirts. This is my favorite photo in the entire world! My young grandmother is surrounded by her clothesline and her children... radiant and relaxed. The reality was:   she and my grandfather were building their home while living on the work site, she was teaching nursery school, and had a 4 year old and one year old... phew! Yet, look at that smile!When I worked on this, it was hard not to think of the passage of time... of moments frozen... of the innocence and vulnerability of young mothering. The 1940's may seem like a foreign age compared to the present, but if I could step into this picture, I bet I would find similar struggles and joys in my grandmother's daily life to ours today. Clothes lines symbolize so much to me and this one has the added reminder of my girlhood summers with this same lovely woman hanging our laundry out... as I swung on the porch swing nearby. Sometimes I helped, but honestly  I mostly watched and absorbed her methods and movements... and we'd talk... and talk. I'd give anything to swing on that bench today, but I feel so lucky that I still have her to talk to. In fact, this last week I've taken to calling her every day... just to check in. Aging is never easy, you know... but my grandmother's middle name is Hope. For real!

I knew I had to incorporate that into her collage. I loved stamping it onto a mini cloth (diaper, perhaps...) and hanging it on the line. Shouldn't we all hang our HOPE out on a line?  (You can read more about the details of the collage techniques I used over at Creative Therapy , where I just became the 113th catalyst.)  And I invite you to create something for and/or inspired by your favorite relative. It will be time well spent, I promise. Did that special person jump into your mind when I said that... who might it be?

Sponsor Give-Away: Modern Organic Fabrics!

 Hello friends, I have wonderful way for us to start our week... with visions of delicious organic fabric to play with! One of you will win a $50 gift certificate to Modern Organic Fabrics for some fun shopping... what a way to roll into summer sewing!

 There is such a wonderful selection of gorgeous prints and simple solids... each and every one: ORGANIC!! So hard to choose... now wouldn't that be a lovely problem to have? Definitely do a little window shopping... dreaming... positive thinking... and  leave a comment before Thursday at 5pm EST.  I'll announce the winner on Friday Morning. Good luck!
Modern Organic Fabrics:
shop
blog
website

natural accessories

 Remember these sweet bracelets? They truly make any nature walk that much more magical. Skip to my Lou is sharing a featured craft (from a different blogger) every day for 30 days to jump start summer with "craft camp". Nature Bracelets are featured today.  I also think that the crowns and cuffs from fall would be wonderful reinterpreted as accessories for a summer solstice celebration... don't you think?

Hope your weekend has been just right!

shop update

I've just put up a few new things in my shop. Only two buckets for now... more to come.


Do you remember these lemons?

It's now available to one of you... along with two other tea towels I love.




These organic baby t's are just so soft:



Hop on over to check it all out... right here.  Happy weekend friends!

Reinvention

My final class at Squam was called Reinvention. I took such pleasure in collecting/gathering scraps and castaways throughout the last few months.  I  was super intrigued to see who would choose to spend the morning making something from nothing.  At dawn ( I was too excited to sleep), I set out a smorgasbord of old maps, dozens of security envelopes, cardboard tubes, fabric scraps, coffee sacks, buttons, newspapers.... and on and on. A thunderstorm raged outside, so I lit a blazing fire in the stone hearth. I figured on the last morning of our retreat, with the rain and all, we'd get a late start. Oh no! My enthusiastic students arrived early and beaming! This was to be a class filled with passionate recyclers, green crafters, and creative makers! When I realized that I was in a room with 15 other women who celebrated repurposing as much as I do, I just about wept. Really.We all had different stories, but that common thread was woven throughout our time together.


More than half had brought their stash for sharing and working with. There was a nice balance of open-ended exploration with materials and guided instruction for those that wanted to make specific maya*made items. Collaging, sewing, stamping, painting...




The morning flew by far too quickly, and then I was packing it all up. Amazingly, my flower bouquets lasted beautifully thanks to your great tips. Daily water changes were the key.
 
Thanks for joining me in the retelling of wonderful week and a huge hug to all the lovely individuals that chose my classes and taught me so much. Please check out my Squam set on flickr for lots more photos.

p.s. DosFishes has a little review of ReInvention right here. Thank you bunches, Corrine... it was a pleasure to spend the morning with you!

Botanical Printing at Squam

 classroom photo courtesy of Lucie Wicker

The first two days at Squam were spent teaching Printing with Botanical Designs. Using a simple and accessible technique, freezer paper stenciling, students explored the shapes and patterns that were surrounding us. Because of our stunning location, the presence of the natural world was felt in abundance. An entire forest of varying leaves can be incredible inspiration for one and overwhelming for another.

Thus, I brought my bouquets of flowers from my gardens and daisies from the barn. They magically kept all week! I also printed photographs of leaves and single blooms taken on a white background (thanks for the idea, Margie) to help isolate shapes. 

The students that attended each day were phenomenal! They were from all different backgrounds and ages.  There was some definite stretching for the many that claimed to not be "drawers" and felt out of their comfort zone. With the gentle beauty of the lake before them, these amazing individuals created some really stunning work.

 


I only managed a group shot the first day... and there are just so many photos I can put into a blog post, so if you'd like to see more loveliness, visit my Squam set on flickr right here. I also recommend checking out the Squam 2010 pool because there were so many inspiring classes happening at one time.