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 :: 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.

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.

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.

***

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 **

***

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

~peace.

day :: 16

horrific fires are raging here, with hundreds of homes already lost. as far as i've been able to learn, one person has lost his life, but the news last night was saying more were feared gone. i hope they are wrong.

photo :: property of los angeles times

the above photo is of the remains of homes in the sylmar fire. this was a mobile home park (also called a trailer park) in which more than 500 homes were destroyed.

we were watching the news late yesterday, & were horrified to see that in addition to homes being ablaze, one area still had gas running, but no water! that meant that flames were being fed by the gas going to each home, & that firemen could do nothing, because there was no water for their hoses. to add to their frustration, many homes had pools, but the firemen had no way to pump that water, & put it to use.

it's just all so sad. so much loss, so many hearts breaking. my thoughts are with all of those affected by the fires. so too are my thoughts with the firemen who are fighting with every ounce of energy they can muster - may they all stay safe.

ah, i hear a little hobbit stirring. i'm off for a snuggle, & to think about how lucky i am.
~peace.
** to friends & family far away: we are safe here. none of the fires are near enough to pose even the most minute of threats. the only problem we face is the smoke, so we are staying indoors. **

day :: 15

this morning i'm recovering from last night's migraine. i shall spare you the details; but let me say it was a ring of hell even dante could not have conceived.

so instead of sewing, crafting, or playing with my sweet little hobbit - i am lazily poking about the internet, & drinking a huge cup of decaf, soycreamy goodness. in doing so, i stumbled upon a beautiful collection of jewelry; made by the foundling; almost all of which are just my style.

photos :: property of thefoundling.com

vintage + delicate + words = i'll take one of each please.

i hope your day is a lovely one. go buy yourself some pretty jewelry.
~peace.

day :: 14

our latest trip to the library ended with me grinning like an idiot, & nearly skipping out of the building. i found 3 crafting books i had yet to read! i've already poked through the one pictured above, & think i may have to purchase it. so far it is the most appealing of all the embroidery books i have read. there are links to all of them in the what i'm reading widget over <---- there.

i don't know about you, but i love reading how to books. i'm not even all that picky about what the book explains, (i even read one on auto repair) but i am picky when it comes to photos - i must have photos. my favorite of the how to genre is cooking. i am happy to snuggle on the couch with a stack of cookbooks - but - no photos? seriously? i need to see what the food looks like.

other types of how to can be illustrated instead, but that depends on how good the illustrations are, & what is being taught.... wow, apparently i am fussy.

so tell me: do you like how to books as well, & which kinds?

~peace.

day :: 13

long day.
no post.
too tired.

~peace.

day :: 12

i never did show you the treasures i've been receiving through swapping on swap-bot, so i thought today would be a perfect day for it.



thehobbit keeps trying to walk off with this mushroom, & the little house has got to be the cutest thing i have ever seen. i'm definitely going to have to learn how to make the latter.




here is our nature table. i found the little cabinet on my last thrifting, & knew immediately it would be replacing the tray we were using to house the seasonal display. the brown mushroom (my favorite) on the shelf, & the one in the cornucopia are from another swap - it came with a third, which thehobbit did manage to liberate. the bearded gnome seems quite the grump, & quickly won my heart. the sweet little bracelet was from still another swap. it has nothing to do with autumn, but it's my table, so there.

***

other things pictured: the pumpkin was made a few years ago (before i learned how to blend colors,) the candles thehobbit & i dipped when he was a dinky guy, the leaning gnome is the first boot gnome i made, & the little acorn gnome was made by oddsox.

that's the dining room in the background. you can see a bit of thehobbit's little house (pre-painting) - & if you click on the photo to make it large, you will notice my swanky curtain clips. yes that would be 2 bag clips, & a large utility clip - posh with a capital p.o.s.h. posh.

thank you for joining us for: tour of the nature table & its environs. come back next week when we discover the many ways utility clips are used in lieu of sewing in the wild.
~peace.

day :: 11

yesterday the manlyman treated our hobbity boy to a day of male bonding, so i could focus on cutting & sewing. i was able to get 6 drink slings halfway sewn, & 3 birthday crowns completed. the slings take a lot of time, because each is made from 5 or 6 different fabrics. with fabric either donated, or repurposed, it's not always easy to find patterns or colors that look good together.

he hasn't said anything; but i think manlyman has entered himself in a husband of the year contest. you see, not only did he do the solo-parent/playmate gig - he also cooked all the meals! yes you read correctly: i did not have to cook all day. ha! oh wait there is more - manlyman then washed all the dishes! i think we all agree he's well on his way to winning that contest.

taking a cue from his daddyo, today thehobbit helped in the studio. he looked so cute stuffing colored pencils into zippered cases that i had to take a picture. his help led to everything taking vastly longer than it should; but it ended with a proud boy, so was definitely worth it.

how did i get so lucky to have not one; but two amazing men in my life?

hmmm blogger is wonky today. it's not letting me control spaces between paragraphs. sorry if this post looks odd - just blame blogger. then go have a lovely day please.

~peace.

day :: 10

update: the allergies are holding me for ransom. please send fried food.

***

i keep forgetting to tell you to pop over to sew,mama,sew! for their annual handmade holidays. each day in november they pick a theme (gifts for kids, gifts for crafters, etc.) then post a few links to tutorials they've found. i've been checking them daily for inspiration.

~peace.