see you in aught-nine!

~peace.

roses & acorns & whiskers on french fries

monday we went with a small group of homeschooling families to watch the rose parade floats being assembled. like last year, thehobbit & i were amazed at all we saw. unlike last year, the field trip landed on manlyman's day off, so he was able to join us. after a lifetime of watching the parade on television; seeing the floats in person, as they are being covered in seeds & flowers? there is just nothing like it.

there was something that topped it though. it was watching our kids after they discovered an area covered in acorns!



you would have thought they'd found a field of chocolates, so giddy were they. we adults sat on boulders, enjoying the much-needed sunshine, & watched our children filling their packs to near bursting.

we also indulged in plates of garlic fries. i thought they would be dusted in garlic salt, but no! they were tossed with chunks of lightly fried garlic. wow. that's all i can say to describe the flavor. wow.

i am so grateful for a child who (at ten) still is thrilled by the simple things in life. i'm also grateful his friends are as well. i just wish i'd gotten a shot of all of them with their little bums in the air, because it was quite the sight.

~peace.

holiday happenings

our christmas was simply lovely. we spent a quiet morning at home, exchanging prezzies, & watching thehobbit figure out how to work his new typewriter. then; as we do every year; we headed over to sweet pom's house for an all-day brunch.

this tradition began in 2002, with thepoms taking pity on thehobbit & myself. both sides of my family live far away, & back then manlyman still had to work christmas. they invited us to join them, & have done so ever since. 2 years later manlyman was no longer scheduled for christmas, so joined the fray. i cannot imagine the holiday without thepoms - they are our family. they are also as nutty as they come, but we like them that way.

***

since then we've been unwinding, & playing with our new toys. yesterday paper & i took the kids to the beach so they could ride their new scooters. with them on wheels were able to keep a fairly decent walking pace. the wind was much too cold, but it was worth it to spend time at the ocean. it's just so beautiful there, & the air is so fresh.

how was your christmas? how has your hanukkah been? what are your plans for new year's eve?

~peace.

in which a hobbit is made very happy

yesterday began stormy both outside & in. manlyman's mom was supposed to spend an early christmas with us, but a heavy snowfall on her mountain kept her away. this made an already rainy, gloomy day much more gloomy for a certain hobbit.

just as we were finishing lunch, the mail arrived. packages from my parents! i knew what his prezzies were, so i knew one of them was just the thing to brighten his day. manlyman gave me a brief version of his annual you cannot open that. it isn't xmas yet. lecture, & i bopped over to little misery to give him the most perfect prezzie ever.



this kit is amazing! it's a wooden, 185-piece puzzle that makes over 30 pieces of dollhouse furniture. he tore into it, squealing with glee, then spent the next 2 hours happily building teensy tables, chairs, & the rest.

they need to be glued still, but that can wait. he was talking about painting & staining pieces, which i hope he does, because right now it's all looking a bit like an unfinished furniture shop.

right now there is a pile of furniture he's yet to install, as well as a pile of things he made out of bits & bobs. i'm trying to convince him to keep some of the better things he created, because i don't want him to think that store-bought is better to have than handmade. that said? i shall not cry to see the majority of corks, match boxes, & their ilk hit the rubbish bin.

it's safe to say that the prezzie saved the day. my favorite thing in the kit?

heehee.

i hope your day is lovely.

~peace.

** the little bowls were purchased here. the toy cubicles are mega legos turned on their side. the cool bamboo wall behind the toilet is from the japanese dollar store - it's tabletop zen garden furniture. **

this holiday season seemed to sneak up on me. i had been prepping for it, & we'd been taking part in the usual events, but still i feel as though it jumped out & yelled boo!

as much as it saddens thehobbit to see animals in captivity, he was excited to see reindeer. after awhile he began whispering to them that he wished he could set them free. we pointed out they could fly away whenever they wanted, but he just gave us the look.

it's been unusually cold for this part of the world. normally i welcome the cold, but this year my body isn't tolerating it well. the extra layers of clothing i've had to wear may get me some odd looks out & about, but it helps me pretend that it is going to snow any day now.

this is a portion of disneyland's castle lit for the winter holiday season. it truly is beautiful in person. we'd planned on staying late to see the fireworks, & the snow fall, but thehobbit was just too tired.

***

we are now officially in winter (summer for you other hemisphere readers), & this year the season's change marks the beginning of the december holidays. it's fun having them all squished together this way. thehobbit got a kick out of finishing his countdown box (ours goes to the solstice) & lighting the menorah all in one weekend. to make it more squished than it already is, tomorrow manlyman's mom is coming to town for an early christmas day.

i hope that whatever you do (or don't) celebrate this time of year, is one marked with much joy, & as always...

~peace.

i'm a feature today!

kats in the belfry

is an etsy feature all day!!! - 20th december

***

once on etsy's front page, click on the children's showcase updated info showcase rectangle. that should pop up the page of today's feature sellers, then from the drop-down menu choose children, & that's where you'll find me :-)

when you purchase something today, write in the comment section of your order i'm your one & only reader!, & i'll include a little something just for you.

happy shopping!

~peace.

show & tell

i'm sorry to make you wait so long for photos - it's been a long, & tiring week. so, as i said in my previous post, the show was a huge success.

here are some market bags, & drink slings. the blue patterned sling is now available in theshop.

we were a bit crowded for space this show, but the crowds didn't seem put off by the jumble.

the mini mushroom sets, & the pixie knitting kits sold better than i'd hoped!

all but 2 of the lunch kits sold, which thrilled me to no end. can you guess who was the first to go?

there was a freezing wind that lasted all day, but it didn't keep the people away, & everyone was in good spirits. happy sellers & happy customers can make almost any weather tolerable. i'm not yet warm though. i may never be.

thank you to all the wonderful customers & visitors, & most especially to my fellow dragonflies!

~peace.

zzzzzzzzzzzz

i'm taking a short break from my all-day nap, to let you know that yesterday's show was a huge success! there is so much to tell you, plus photos to share - but not today. today the focus is doing nothing more strenuous than changing the channel on the television.

have a glorious sunday!
~peace.

please come!!!!

visit all of the dragonfly artisans at winter faire! we'll be the fabulous mamas, in the giant, double-sized booth.

get your holiday shopping done, pamper yourself, or just spend the day enjoying the magical event.

i'll see you there!

~peace.

shop update

hiya. no time for a proper chat today, but i did want to let you know that i've listed 2 lunch kits in theshop. there are more in the works, so check back if you don't see a style that suits you or your shorty.

the flower on this sweet lunch kit was made from a wool sweater, a big button, & squiggly stitching on the machine. if you want to see the containers that come with it, look here.

let me know what you think of the test bags - ooohs & aaahs only please ;-)

~peace.

mushrooms & skullies

i thought i'd share a few projects i'm readying for this saturday's winter faire.




these teeny mushrooms are currently my favorite thing to create. painting on the dots is so meditative. each set of 3 comes with a small cloth bag. for the show, i had to package them in plastic so the mushrooms could be seen. for the shop, they'll just come in their cloth bag; without the wasteful plastic. there is a larger mushroom that will be included in future sets.

this guy is 1 of a few i'll be trying at winter faire. each small tote has a set of 3 stainless steel food containers, & plenty of room for a water bottle, & more food containers. i've wanted to create lunch kits for quite some time, just never found the time. hahaha! not that i have time right now, but nothing says week of the show like giving yourself more work!

that's all for today. please come visit me this saturday - the information is up there on the right. bring the whole family; waldorf winter faires are great fun!

~peace.

pixies are knitters too

this is a project i've been working on for ages. i'm sure it would have taken less time had i a) not kept forgetting about it, & 2) been a better knitter. by now neither of those things should surprise you about me.

dear reader i give you (drum roll if you please) pixie knitting kits!


your eyes do not deceive you, those needles are made from toothpicks. should you want to make a set for yourself you'll need:

2 toothpicks, sanded
2 beads
1 skein of embroidery floss
glue

after you have sanded the toothpicks as smooth as can be, glue a bead to one point of each. i recommend making sure the point will fit inside the bead snugly before gluing. be gentle though, because you don't want to break the tips.

whilst they dry, roll your floss into a ball. you can wind it onto one of those little floss things, but i think it looks cute in a ball. more knittish, if you will.

that's all there is to it. once the beads have dried, cast on, & get going!

those of you who don't want to make your own, i'll have some in the shop soon. email me if you want to buy one before you see it listed (whatever color you fancy.)

thanks to my dragonflies for convincing me to make them for others, not just to torture myself!

ok, back to work i go - pixies are pushy bosses.

confessions of a japanese store addict

yes i am blogging about my japanese store addiction again. thehobbit & i went today for supplies, & had a lovely time ever so slowly poking through the aisles. not only did i find nearly all the items i needed, but a few treasures talked us into taking them home as well.

photo :: property of ???

the search for the perfect timer has been a long one, & today it came to an end. we stood there for literally 5 minutes trying to decide between the chicken & the egg. i don't know which came first, but you can see which came home. that photo is not mine, (did i tell you the menfolk stole my camera's batteries to play guitar hero?) i found it in a search, & now cannot find the owner.

in addition to the amazing treasures to be found, i love the wonky translation. yes i know i've said so before - you are sassy tonight. sometimes they make little sense, but usually they are sweet.

a box of colored pencils: it is finished without adding any color on pencil stick & keeps feeling of natural taste. wood is natural blessing. present from natural material. gentleness of wood, natural warmth are felt every time you use.

a spool of thread: almighty spun thread for sewing machine. for handsewing no problem.

a note pad: peace is happy when i see you.

they just make me smile. the women who work there make me smile as well - they are always so nice.

***

hey - did you know? peace is happy when i see you.

~peace.

double feature picture show

kats in the belfry is featured all day today (4th december) in the toys category!!! visit etsy, then choose toys from the drop-down menu, & you'll see me! right now it's showing one of my crowns. if you click on the picture, it opens a larger view, plus a peek at other items featured.

yes i know - my geek is showing. sorry, things like this make me giggley.

why are you still here? go shopping! don't forget to tell me i sent you.

~peace.

i'd like a nap please. 2 if you have them.

i'm in love with this crown. the color, the stripety buttons, the simplicity. i keep nearly removing it from the shop, so i can keep it all to myself.

so. yeah. i'm tired. this marathon sewing & crafting thing is exhausting. that, & for some unmaudely reason i have been waking just after 4am for nearly a week now. what the?

***

completely unrelated, but i just had to share: i don't know if you remember me telling you this last year, but thehobbit is obsessed with xmas music. he counts down to the week of thanksgiving, when one radio station begins playing nothing but xmas songs until xmas day. this year was no exception.

what is new this year, is thehobbit's love of youtube. can i look up a song? will you find me a song? is this song on youtube? & so on. every so often now he'll ask if i will find a certain xmas song; usually by a specific artist. in case you're wondering: yes he still loves elvis, but also enjoys bing, frank, & dean.

so this morning he asked me to look up a song, & was horrified by the video. the hair! the clothes! the isthataboyoragirl??! heeheehee

~peace.

to manlyman:

it was eighteen years ago today,

that you held my hand,

looked into my eyes,


& captured my heart.

i love you.

*

** all the photos were found through a google image search, & do not belong to me**

day :: 30 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

finally! wait, let me rephrase that: fi-na-lly! as much as i've enjoyed the pressure of being forced to post every single bleeping day of november; i must tell you that i have never been so glad to see a month come to an end.

don't get me wrong, it wasn't dreadful. that is to say i didn't detest the whole of it. i only thought evil thoughts about the nablopomo creators every few days or so. this last week perhaps the thoughts came daily, but i am sure that is fairly common. tinker (she who sent me to nablopomo) had a similar experience. on days where i had nothing to say; so would post random babbling; she would just tack up a photo. i'm sure that says a lot about our natures, but let's not delve that deeply.

***

this past week has been freakybusy as i'm sure you noticed. one thing that has been difficult has been making time for thehobbit. some days i wasn't able to be as present as i would have liked, but for the most part i managed to rock the mamahood. like this day:

thehobbit designed the house, & i did the cutting. yes i know we don't need more little houses, but - well i don't have a but... hahahahaha don't have a but hahahaha. i'm sorry, i woke 2 days in a row before 5am, & am a little slap-happy.

we saved the cut pieces to make the windows stand out more, & possibly some shutters. we are not in accord on the subject of shutters, my hobbity boy & i. i may have to leave a teeny note from the borrowers, asking for shutters.

here we have an interior shot of the first story. hey! my cutting mat gives the illusion of linoleum.

thehobbit wants to make this the guest-guest house. let me clarify: he wants this to be the place the guests of the guests stay. got it? yeah, it makes little sense to me as well. i was thinking of turning it into a faery house. we could cover the exterior in thin sheets of bark, the roof with moss perhaps, & all the furniture could be made from twigs. i know! i should be making this house with you instead.

ok my sweet one & only reader, i am off. thanks for sharing nablopomo with me. tomorrow we go back to the regular insanity.

~peace.

day :: 29

i love words. i love to read them, to write them, to wear them, to surround myself with them, to create with them. i love researching how words came to be, & how they morphed over time. i have no idea why all of this is, it just always has been.

i cannot get enough of books about words, especially ones written with a humorous mien. a favorite book is the mother tongue.



we were camping in fort bragg, & spotted a thrift shop on our way through town one day. unable to stop myself on a whim i decided we should pop in. i was drawn to this little room in the back that was filled with books, maps, & old linens. i know! none of the maps thrilled me, & the linens were all out of my price range, but the books! floor-to-ceiling shelves, & all organized by theme. i looked slowly through the shelves, trying to find the one perfect book. just when thehobbit began to reach his limit (dust allergy) i found it. i knew nothing about the book, nor the author, but the title told me all i needed to know.

in the years since that day, i've read the book quite a few times. it's filled with so much information that i always come away with something new. i'm sure that has more to do with the richness of the book, & less to do with the fact that i have swiss-cheese-brain.

***

for nearly a year i've been making sketches, & taking notes; trying to find ways to marry my love of words with the things i create. i've toyed with embroidering words, but my skill is not yet where i want it to be. the first to make it to fruition are my shakespeare people. i had no idea how happy i would be mixing words & creations. right now (instead of fully focusing on getting ready for the holidays) i'm toying with putting words onto fabric. i have some very old books whose pages are fabulous: shakespeare, a french guidebook, a typewriting how-to. seriously, i'm getting chills just thinking about the possibilities. plus our thermostat broke.

***

when i troll etsy, the items that most draw me have words on them. i found this, this, & this. that last one would look stunning on the bedroom wall, next to the old (repro) map of paris. better yet! manlyman should take me to paris.

time for me to do the mama thing. here is a prezzie for you, enjoy!

~peace.

day :: 28

today only!!!!!!!

i am in a fantastic mood! the scooter that thehobbit wants desperately was on sale today, & free shipping! that means not only did i get a good price, but i don't have to scour shops for the darn thing; in the few hours i do not have thehobbit with me! so to celebrate my score, i've put together a special for you!

i am waiving the shipping on all items purchased from the shop, today (by 8pm*)!!!!!!! you can buy one thing, or all of it, & still you'll have no shipping cost. i wish i could let the sale go until midnight (for you late night bloggers) but i just won't be able to stay up that late to adjust the listings back again.

don't forget to type "i'm your one & only reader!" into the comment section of your order, so i know to include your freebie.

i'm off. 2 crowns i made for the wholesale order have to be ripped apart, & fixed - wretched, fussy vintage sequins. happy shopping!
~peace.

* today is: friday 28th november. 8pm here is: pacific standard time.

day :: 27

i am thankful that all those i love are safe & well.

i am thankful that i have a home.

i am thankful i live free from want.

i am thankful for friends (real & imaginary.)

i am thankful for the beauty & blessings of nature.

i am thankful for technology that allows me to connect with you.

***

today my heart goes out to those around the world who are not able to celebrate many reasons to be thankful. to those living with war. with disease. with violence. with hunger. with sadness. with loss. with fear. with unmet needs. with injustice. without.

***

blessed be.

~peace.

day :: 26

i've listed more things in the shop!

i've also decided that you deserve a prezzie for putting up with my babblings all year long. kats in the belfry readers who purchase things before the end of the year shall all get an extra little something sent with their orders. just make sure you write "i'm your one & only reader!" in the comment section of your order, so i know who you are.

happy shopping!

~peace.

day :: 25

so i now know the secrets to a successful shop opening! i'll wait whilst you get paper & a pen... ok ready?

1 - make sure you don't have any mailers, boxes, or things of that sort on hand.
2 - don't read any of the how-to articles on etsy (other than pimp my shop.)
3 - open your shop when you are at your busiest - a major holiday perhaps.
4 - before opening your shop (& this quite possibly may be the most important bit) rip your studio apart, & do not put it back together. not only will you be unable to find things you need, but you are sure to hurt yourself many, many times a day.

if you do all of the above, you are sure to have a fabulous opening to your etsy shop! no need to thank me, i feel it my duty to share it with the rest of you.


i have to thank my dragonfly artisans for all their help the last few days. they answered my many desperately frantic emails & phone calls; giving sound advice, & pretty much telling me what to do.

***

are you ready for my big news? i didn't want to tell you until money had changed hands - didn't want to jinx it. a woman ordered an assortment of my birthday crowns to sell in her boutique! i wasn't sure i wanted to at first, but after exchanging a few emails with her, i decided to accept her offer. she also purchased one of the shakespeare people to give added interest to the beautiful little houses she's selling.

see you tomorrow!

~peace.

day :: 24

ok i lied - the shop will not be fully stocked tonight. we had a wild family day, & i am worn to an absolute nub.

i promise to list a few things in the shop each day though, so stop looking at me like that.

***

my dear one & only reader....

i

made

my

first

etsy

sale!!!!!

that's right woohoo! not only that, but... well i cannot yet tell you, but it is big. big big.

ok i'm done with the giant letters. & i'm off to have a warm cup of tea. have a fantastic night!

~peace.

shop announcement!

as i briefly mentioned the other day - i've finally opened my etsy shop. shall i wait a moment or two for those of you who fainted off your chairs?

there are just a few items listed, but i hope to have the shop fairly well stocked by tomorrow night (monday, the 24th of november.)






happy shopping!!!
~peace.

day :: 23

what a day! oddsox, paper & i took the shorties to pasadena waldorf's elve's faire. i have been to faires at a handful of different waldorf schools, but i must say this one was by far the most amazing.


these little creatures were having tea near the entrance to the human's tearoom.

***

an article on a one-room waldorf school was what started us on our homeschool journey. the place seemed so magical, & so in tune with who children are - manlyman & i wanted thehobbit to go there when he was old enough for school.

researching the sweet, little school; & waldorf education in general; we discovered a local waldorf-homeschool co-op. we'd never given homeschooling a thought, but we decided it would be good to get involved in this community, until thehobbit was old enough to attend (what we then considered) real school.

not long after joining their online support group, we began discussing the possibility of waldorf-homeschool becoming our permanent choice for thehobbit. we felt comfortable in this group, the list of classes the co-op offered at the time were fantastic (& free so long as manlyman or i taught 1,) & we'd still be a part of the greater waldorf community.

being the research fanatic that i am; our discussions led to many hours researching homeschooling. we wanted to know what it entailed, what the laws in that state were, the pros, the cons, & mostly what our choices were. this last bit; choice; was what sealed the deal for us. the freedom to choose how our son would be educated - education tailored to his learning style, his passions, his strengths & weaknesses.

once we decided to homeschool, we never looked back. eventually we moved to a new state, joined the greater waldorf-homeschool online community, then left waldorf-homeschool altogether. none of the belfries do well with too many restrictions & absolutes, & this community was rife with them.

our journey led us to unschooling (also known as child-led learning,) which led us to just making-it-up-as-we-go-along schooling. we never completely detached from waldorf in general, because much of it still resonates with manlyman & myself. mainly though, it's because of thehobbit. he thrives in that world just like we assumed he would all those years ago.

these days we attend their faires, & hang with our (real) waldorf friends. we live in a world where faeries & gnomes walk beside us, music & art are of great import, & nature guides it all. were this homeschool journey about me, we would most likely have followed the waldorf path in a more purposeful way. this is not my journey though, it is thehobbit's - so there are many detours, many roads that take us away from waldorf education for a time.

***

talk about detours. this post was to be about how much fun we had at the elve's faire, not about how we began homeschooling. i suppose that would be blog imitating life ;-)

~peace.

day :: 22

unfortunately for daddyo & the other relatives, i managed very few photos of thehobbit's face. it was impossible when every time i turned around, this is what i saw:

there was so much to see; so many things from which to choose. in this photo, thehobbit is trying desperately to decide what he wanted most. having only $10 to spend, he needed to choose carefully. in the end he managed to buy 3 prezzies for the borrowers, with enough left to pay the tax.

thehobbit also helped me choose a birthday prezzie for minisoap. i asked him to pick things for her that he thought were really cool. only 1 of the items he chose will really go to her. the rest shall be put away for thehobbit for xmas. hey! as long as he's still falling for my tricks, i'll keep taking advantage.

looking through tiny windows.

i'll take one of these in my size please.

the day was lovely, & i am definitely glad we decided to drive all that way. maybe one day i'll have a dollhouse of my own. a girl can dream.

~peace.

the play's the thing.

this motley bunch are queuing to audition for a local production of a midsummer night's dream.

wow - they're all so dedicated they've wrapped themselves in their scripts. all but one that is.

i'm not really here. i just wanted to show you what i'm playing with.
~peace.
** edited to proclaim :: my shop is open!!!!!!!!!! more on that later **

day :: 21

today is a surprise hogwarts field trip to a shop!!!! why all the exclamation points kat? why are you so excited about going to a shop? because a) thehobbit has no idea shops like this exist, so is going to pee himself when he walks through the door, & 2) hello???! need i say more?

this is the shop! oooooh miniatures i hear you say. oooooh indeed. their website says the shop is 4,000 square feet - dear reader, we shall be henceforth known as the most amazing mamas that ever did sit on their arses drinking coffee.

i shall be taking the camera, so expect photos! have a lovely day - i insist.

~peace.

day :: 20

last night was the tu-wednesday night craft! i know i've said this a kajillion times; but they are absolutely nutters an amazing group of mamas. i could never have gotten this far with the bizzie if not for them. they've taught me to knit, to crochet, & to felt. they have shared their resources, their books, & their supplies. i could go on & on; but it would take me a lifetime.

i do want to say this though: one of the ways they support my crafting is by their accolades. not that i don't appreciate crafting-love from all my friends; this is simply different. i sit with them each week (more often with some) to craft for birthdays, holidays, etsy shops, & craft fairs. they see the struggles & the successes as they occur, & immediately offer support or cheers as needed. they also allow me to do the same for them - which makes me feel truly blessed.

in case you're new here, i thought i'd take the time to introduce my partners in crime.


oddsox of something out of nothing

paper of enchanted musing & paper 2 yarn
tinker of blue-eyed crow
soap of shenanigans

thebloglessone of roaring woman creations

if you've yet to, please visit my dragonfly artisans cohorts, & say hello. except thebloglessone, because, well, obviously she has no blog to visit. we love her anyway.

~peace.

day :: 19

dear hobbit,

you are an amazing little boy, & i love you more than i could ever explain. you are sweet, & sensitive, & loving, & so very interesting. you are also; & i say this with all the love in my heart; some days a royal pain in the arse. today is one of those days. you woke with such a gentle sweetness - how is it that only a few hours later you are stomping out of the room, on the brink of tears, for what has to be the umpteenth time?

did you not get enough sleep? are 10yo hormones driving you mad? are you hiding an evil twin in your playroom? is that why you hung the do not enter sign? please let me know soon. ok?

love mama.

***

yesterday i didn't get as much sewing done as i'd planned. i was having issues with the thread; do not let me get that brand again; & finally gave up in frustration.

here are 2 little pouches i'm trying out. they have flat bottoms, & each has a button attached to the zipper to aid in pulling. what the photo doesn't show is the texture on the grey one, & its red zipper. i'm not into bright colors personally, but it came with a packet of zippers i bought, & thehobbit assured me the red was really really pretty.

the pouches are the perfect size for tossing into a purse or tote: makeup, a small camera, etc. i even made a smaller version for thehobbit's inhaler. ok that was accidental - i measured incorrectly, so decided to find a use for it rather than toss it. but still!

***

these are my newest obsession. i've been wanting to paint these dinky mushrooms since spring, & only just got around to it. i had so much fun that i went & ordered a zillion more (in 3 sizes.) it's hard to tell from the photo; because again i forgot to include something to show size; but each mushroom is only 3/16ths of an inch across. i did say dinky. at first it was difficult to manage, but once i dug out tiny pliers everything went smoothly. kind of zen.

my chatting time has come to an end. a certain hobbity person is in need of a swift ki- snuggle. i hope you have a lovely day - see you tomorrow. will nablopomo ever end?
~peace.

day :: 18

is nablopomo over yet? it would seem that having to post makes me not want to post.

this is one of my favorite movies - have you seen it?

if you haven't, please do!

~peace.

day :: 17

a portion of yesterday was spent chained to the sewing nook. fortunately we had a great book
to listen to, & thehobbit was happy to play & craft nearby as i worked.

these drink slings were a custom order. the blue one is for a very wee child - both the handles & the body had to be altered to fit the size of the child, & the smaller water bottle respectively.

thehobbit was an excellent assistant; helping choose the many fabrics, & oohing & ahhing as each sling was completed. i wish i'd taken a photo of him playing on the floor by my table, surrounded by bits of thread & fabric, & wearing a tie. never was there a more odd adorable little assistant.

i managed to complete this wip - a birthday prezzie for a little friend. it wasn't until i had the photos uploaded that i noticed the foreshortening makes the pencil pouch appear freakycrooked. it's not; the pouch is a lovely rectangle, & i am too lazy to retake the photo.

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the air quality is better today,which means we can finally open our windows. the reports say it's still unhealthy for sensitive people though, (thehobbit & his all-boy-asthma-circus) so no outside play just yet.

fires are still raging, & hundreds more homes have been lost. mrpaper was recalled yesterday; but i've yet to hear if he has been sent to any of the fires. i hope he stays safe. i hope all the firemen stay safe. ** update :: mrpaper was not sent, & is back at home, safely annoying my dear paper **

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so as not to leave you on a sad & worrisome note:

~peace.