a royal collaboration

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photo shoot :: outtake

a few months ago i was asked by my oh-so-fantastic teammate, pin pon, if i would like to create a crown to go with a capelet she made. seriously? well, of course i would! even before joining natural kids i was a huge fan of her work.

once the (utterly adorable) capelet arrived i got to work on the crown. i believe i even showed a sneaky peek or two, way back when. the delay has been in photographing the set. unfortunately my little models & i never seemed to mesh schedule-wise. thehobbit, as willing as he usually is to pose for me, was not interested in modelling an ultra-feminine ensemble.

finally i accepted that i would need to just find another model. you know, that's easier said than done. i know many little girls in the required size, but a) i wanted a classic look, & 2) very few in this age group are willing models, once the camera is in front of them.

as you can see from this post's photo, i did find the perfect model. not only was she still willing with the camera clicking away, she was the cutest little ham i'd ever worked with. what you see above is one of a few standard "model" poses she has in her repertoire. she cracks me up :)

so! the royal set can now be purchased here! i still have to take some closer photos of the crown's details, as well as the gorgeous interior of the capelet - just waiting for the rain to stop. if you have a princess in need of this set, i suggest you buy it before i get the photos uploaded. it may not be around long.

~peace.

thursday things - little prezzies

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box of stocking stuffers: naturalkids (look! my acorn gnome kit!)

this installment of thursday things focuses on little prezzies for stockings & solstice. no chitter chatter, let's get right to it!

i am thrilled to have my acorn gnome kit included in the box of stocking stuffers you see pictured above. the boxes are fabulous if you have more than one child to buy for, or if you want to spoil your only child rotten.

set of houses: woodmouse

i love amber's toys. their rustic simplicity makes me swoony. if elfling were older, the caption on this photo would have read set of houses you can't have, because i just bought it, neener neener neener. she's hosting a give-away on her blog, by the way.

typewriter key jewelry: buster and boo

how about something for you angsty tween or teen? sara has just what you need. i adore this lock/key necklace beyond reason. i may have to buy it for myself. by the way, my own angsty hobbit has approved her wares for guys, not just girls. in case you were wondering :)

snake oil salve: muddyfeet



santa just ordered a jar of this yummy calendula salve for manlyman's stocking. golfing in winter leaves his hands dry & tender. she sells it with a regular grown-up-type label, but santa & i think the silly label is so much better. i'll let you know how manlyman likes it.

gardenia perfume oil: sacred waters soap co.

wives, mothers, sisters, girlfriends, etc - they all love smelling pretty. if shan's soaps are any indication (i use them exclusively), her perfume oils will do just that. her shop lists two other scents, if gardenia doesn't appeal.

that brings this edition of thursday things to a close. disclaimer: i do not get anything for the things i feature. they are always chosen because i like them, or because they have caught my eye. that said; i do know all of today's sellers. just thought i should throw that out there.

happy shopping!

~peace.

a give-away of gigantic proportions!

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head nope, you procrastinated again, & missed the deadline. how do you expect to ever win a prize? on over to soulemama for a chance to win one of three gift bundles, by the talented artisans of natural kids! don't tell the others, but i hope you win

as i mentioned yesterday, the pouch i created for this give-away was the victim of scatterbrainitis (real word), so did not get taken to the post office in time. that's it in the above photo. if you want it for your very own, it's in theshop. although, those dinky pencils are so swoony that i may keep it for myself!

the specials are still going on in my kid shop, with free shipping on orders over $40 being the most fabulous one! ok, so go enter the drawing, then pop over to my shop to see all my new pencil pouches & stuff. by the way, i have decided that i'll refund $2 to those who want pouches sent without the pencils. i recognize that some people don't want colored pencils, only pouches. weirdos.

oh, & one more thing: good luck! nope, no one more thing. shame really. i was hoping you'd win.
~peace.

thursday things :: fabulous toys

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i found this gorgeous set of nesting blocks when poking around lehmans. i love the vintage images, & that the colors aren't your typical primary hues. excited to find them, i shared on my personal fb page that elfling needed the blocks. his grandpa instantly replied with one word: done. grandpa rocks!

they arrived a few days later, & i must tell you they are even more fabulous in person. elfling loves grandpa's prezzie, as does thehobbit. ok, we all do. the birthday boy has had, on a few occasions, to remind us that they are his.

as people keep asking for prezzie ideas, i've been doing a lot of searching for things. the trouble is, he needs very little. still, people ask, so i look. of course, i am terrible at staying focused, so it is never long before i'm off baby items, & on toys for bigger kids. below are a few things that caught my eye. enjoy!

* this set of blocks is fabulous!! definitely not your mama's wooden blocks.

* truly, this must be mine. mine, mine, mine!

* a gnome in the box? i love it!

* my goal is to find a used dinky piano for elfling. or win the lottery, so i can afford a new one.

* look at this circus toy, by a fellow naturalkids gal! swoon-worthy, indeed.

sadly, that is all i have time for today. now it is your turn - what toys have caught your eye of late?
~peace.

i am over there today

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i was asked to take part in a weekly tour of artisan's studios. enjoy!

~peace.

prezzies for the soon-to-be

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two of my natural kids teammates are about to have teensy ones: melissa of sqrl & bee studio , & donna of day of rest.

some of us on the team are throwing them baby showers. well sort of. we are spread out all over the world, so getting together for tea & party games isn't possible. what we are doing is making prezzies for their babes, & shipping them by a set date. our hope is that the gifts all arrive within the span a few days.



assuming they are behaving, & are not reading this post, i can tell you what i've made. well, made & making. you see, a certain elfling snatched one away from manlyman, & proceeded to love all over it. by love, i mean to say that he stuck it in his mouth, & chomp-chomp-chomped! giggling maniacally all the while.



there he is, my sweet doctor horrible, with a cheeky chicken's head in his mouth. i had planned on making a chicken for his birthday, but apparently he wanted a specific one. happily, i have more of this fabric to sew another for the shower.


these chickens are much smaller than those for sale in theshop. i like them, so may have to offer both sizes. the smaller hens don't have crocheted crowns. instead, i used red twill tape. i love how they appear even more rustic this way. i may even prefer it. hmm.


i'll show more photos when i've got them ready to ship. perhaps even links to what the others are making. what fun!

~peace.

saturday give-aways at the nk blog!

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do you want this birthday crown for your very own? that question is purely rhetorical - of course you do! for a chance to win this crown, head over to the natural kids' blog, & follow the instructions. this contest is over, you waited too long!

the crown pictured is the one offered in the give-away. it's made of wool felt, & grosgrain ribbon. the buttons were saved from clothing that had seen better days - they have little stars upon them! i don't know about you, but to me, this crown feels a bit where the wild things are.

it's perfect for any boy or girl, so long as the child doesn't harbor a hatred for blue. or stars. or crowns. it's also perfect for you! why let kids have all the fun?

time for you to head over there, & enter the contest. oh, & don't be stingy - tell your friends. good luck! (shh, don't tell the others, but i hope you win.) too late, the contest has ended.

~peace.

on planning to celebrate

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can you believe i've begun planning elfling's first birthday party? where did the time go? it seems just yesterday i was sharing photos of my immense belly, truly it does. sigh.

one year. my bébé is nearing one year old. if i think too much on this, i shall curl into a ball & cry. instead i'll focus on the party itself, & not the reason.


we opted to throw a small fete, to keep me from having a nervous break-down things simple. as much as i would love to invite everyone who brought meals & prezzies, sent us cards, & lent their support; it simply cannot be managed.


taking advantage of the season, we'll be celebrating with a backyard barbecue. no checkered cloths & tiki torches for me, it will definitely be katificated: vintage cloths, faery lights, bunting, fanciful decorations, & hints of whimsy.


it will also be documented! i'll be taking part in a month-long, natural kids celebration event (more on that later). visit here, throughout july, for photos, ideas, tutorials, recipes, & of course, a give-away. how can i resist?


let the wild rumpus begin!

~peace, kat.

thursday things - owls

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photo :: property of polarbearcreations

this week i have owls on the brain. if you search "naturalkids owl" on etsy, you'll see more owls like the one above. i think they're all amazing, but this guy is my favorite.

here are a few owly (real word) links for you.

* buy some owl pellet kits to dissect. thehobbit loved this activity. if your kids are a bit squeamish, or you just don't want to buy owl puke, try the virtual owl pellet.

* the owl pages is packed with owl information for your budding orinthologist.

* what wiki has to say.

* learn to draw everyones favorite owl, hedwig.

* if you missed my birthday back in february, this is my size.

* wow, i had these bookplates when i was little!

that's all the time i have to chat today; my own little owl just woke from his nap. have a great day! hoot! hoot!

~peace.

thursday things - eco finds

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photo :: eco gnome "man of your dreams"

this week i thought i'd share eco-friendly things from etsy. that little guy is one of my eco gnomes. his hat is made from a real california oak acorn, & his outfit is a bit torn from a used magazine. it reads "man of your dreams", which amuses me to no end.

on to my finds!

* reusable sandwich bags are a must if you pack lunches. the amount of waste from plastic baggies is mind-blowing.

* produce bags can be eco-friendly. though so many have made the switch to reusable market totes, most people still take their fruits & veg home in plastic.

* market totes are the only way to go. in my imaginary world i carry my groceries in an old basket; strolling slowly through my tiny village in france...

* coffee cup sleeves can be kept in your purse/backpack. use one when you've forgotten to bring your reusable mug to the coffee joint. you'll still be wasting the to-go cup, but at least you can say no thanks to the cardboard sleeve. this is assuming you are not drinking it there. right?

* apple jackets not only look adorable, they keep your apple from getting bruised. i know someone who wraps her kids' apples in paper towels to keep them padded. i should send her a few of these.

i found much more, but the wee little man just woke from a too-short nap. i'm off to stare into beautiful, sleepy eyes - you go check out eco finds on etsy. don't forget to search "naturalkids team earth day", to find out what sales & special my cohorts & i have going on! (i'm giving an eco gnome with every purchase over $20)

~peace.

drawing of a blog-a-thon-y kind

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i loved reading what your favorite springtime foods are. the comment that had me all a-giggle was atypical girl's cadbury cream eggs. to that i have to say, bock-meow bock-meow!

my 2 favorite veg were amongst those listed; asparagus & leeks. i love them best fresh off the grill. & to those who said ice cream, that is not a springtime food - that is an every day food. except today, for i haven't any! i know!!!

thanks to all of you for playing, i enjoyed it immensely. now on to the drawing! no hobbity top hat this time, i'm a week into dealing with a family-wide pestilence. instead we'll rely on the random number thingamajig.

Domestic Diva said...
Asparagus is my favorite springtime food too. Yum! It's especially good with fresh eggs.

congrats domestic diva! send your address to , & i'll send your prezzie! this is just too much fun.

next on the fun calendar, is the earth day fabulousness of the utmost kind!


okey doke, as much as i'd love to stay & babble at you all day, i've got snotty noses to wipe. blah.

peace.

earth day promotion

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i've been hard at work with, my fellow natties, getting ready for earth day fabulousness of the utmost kind. ok, that isn't the official title of the promotion, but i really do think it ought to be.

the details of the group-wide fabulousness can be found on our blog (don't go there just yet!). there you'll find links to all of the shops participating, the dates, & what specials each are offering.

if that isn't enough fabulousness for you, we'll be holding a fun find the gnomie game. with a prezzie! that too is explained on the nk blog.

so what is to be my contribution to earth day fabulousness of the utmost kind? with each purchase of $20 or more, you'll get your very own eco gnome to adopt. i love prezzies.

ok, you may now go check out the blog for all the fabulousness info & such.

~peace.

give-aways galore!

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unrelated photo of the privet budding!

i've lots of give-aways happening right now, & by lots i mean three! oooh. aaaah. ok, so 3 isn't exactly a large number, but my swiss cheese brain can only handle so much in any given moment, so there.

*there is my spring blog-a-thon give-away with the natural kids: all you need do for a chance to win spring is leave a comment about your favorite springtime food. click here to enter. i'll draw the winner on march 26th.

*next we have my quest to have 100 fans on facebook: a chance to win a mini birthday bunting is easy; fan me here. (note :: i have hit the 100 mark, so the drawing is a go!) the drawing will be this sunday.

*& finally my quest to have 150 fans on facebook: the same as above, fan me here! that drawing is also scheduled for sunday - assuming we hit the magic number by then.

*

a friend announced her easter give-away today: polarbear creations - i want to win this bunny.

for more, please look through my posts since the blog-a-thon began! i've listed a few blogs at the bottom of each post. most of them have drawings going on.

good luck to all of you!

~peace.

thursday things - on a saturday

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sign up for the blog-a-thon give-away here!

property of thesassysparrow

i'm sorry for the delay; we had family in town, & then i had a day-long migraine. ha! that read as though i thought the migraine was the result of the familial visit. well now that you mention it... (only joking, it was lovely.) let's get right to things, shall we?

this week's thursday things was to be about my love of vintage utilitarian objects. i say was, because, as usual, i got distracted by all the gorgeousness on etsy, & before i knew what was happening, i was looking at shoes.

i started looking at old train cases, of which etsy has many. the one in the above picture caught my eye for it's simplicity. now to me, vintage means older than my parents. that case i would classify as retro-on-the-fringe-of-vintage. then i stumbled upon this:

property of saffroncoloredpony

oooh, indeed. still simple, but now we're back a bit in time. this case is what i would call vintage, with one toe in antique-ville. i'd also call it mine, but i doubt the seller would agree.


here is where i got distracted. something else in that shop lured me away, & 20 minutes later i found this:

property of timeechovintage

it's a man's coat, but i could see me wearing it anyway. i could see me wearing it to a garden party on the arm of johnny depp, but that's an altogether different distraction.


i wasn't in the clothing section long, before i came across the most perfect pair of shoes ever. as in: ever ever ever! they are gorgeous. they are my size. they - well, they are many things, none of them being mine. i just havent the funds right now. stupid hobbity teeth in need of orthodontia.

property of possumgully

a well, a girl can dream. which is just what i am off to do - about it all. wink, wink.

today's fabulous natural kids blog-a-thoners: harvest moon by hand & vit á la kim

~peace.

it's nearly autumn, down under

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enter my blog-a-thon give-away here!

this little guy is autumn. i was going to release one pagan people leading up to the corresponding season, or holiday. yesterday it occurred to me that not everyone is getting ready for spring to, well, spring. i hurriedly designed autumn, so you upside-downers would feel represented.

his hair is the color of an autumn leaf, & covered in sparkles. autumn wasn't dry when i took these photos, nor was he yet dressed - hence the close up shots only.

to be honest, i hadn't planned on males in this line of dolls, but my menfolk wouldn't have any of that. ah well, the goddess needs her manlyman too, i suppose ;)

i'll get him in theshop tomorrow - take a peek today though, because there are other new things to be found.

today's fabulous natural kids blogs: pin pon & woolies & birchleaf designs!

~peace.

shakespeare people of color

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enter my blog-a-thon give-away here!!!

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í've temporarily abandoned the pouch metamorphose due to frustration. i knew that once my thoughts went from tossing pouches at the wall, to tossing sewlie, it was time to focus elsewhere.

here is what i did last night instead of sewing: the latest batch of shakespeare people. you may recognise the one on the right. sunee has been around from the beginning; though this is her first time with the new head. next to her is my first blond, tuck.

the remainder are my newest people of color. i've done black dolls in the past, but they all sold before i had a chance to put them in the shop.

what do you think pippa is whispering? probably complaining that the new head makes her look fat.

please visit todays fabulous blog-a-thon-ers: banana bottoms & german dolls & curly monkey

~peace.

pencil pouch metamorphose

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enter to win the blog-a-thon give-away here!

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last year i noticed that a lot of thehobbit's things had broken zippers. he's always been easy on his toys & clothes, so i wondered how long zippered items last with more rambunctious kids. this led me to start doodling new pencil pouches, sans zippers. i must be more persnickety than i thought, because it's taken me nearly a year to come up with a design i like. & no it isn't the one pictured here.



this is basically the idea; a large pouch that folds nearly in half; but with a few changes. i want it shorter by nearly 2 inches, the opening needs a bit of tweaking, & i've ordered wooden buttons. i love reusing buttons, but it's getting hard to find bigger buttons on things.

i tried a few different loops; ribbon, fabric, yarn, twine; but in the end i went with elastic. it's not as pretty, but i can create a smaller loop (to ensure the pouch will stay closed), & still have it be easy for little fingers to work.

as this pouch wasn't destined for theshop, i switched to a button from my 'for me' stash. i'll be using it in my diaper bag, in lieu of a purse.

the upside to the nearly year-long pouch make-over? it led me to finally coming up with a design for my inhaler pouch!!! stay tuned for those.

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today's fabulous blogs for the natural kids blog-a-thon: tribal times & polarbear creations & fair trade family. you really have to visit these blogs, & not merely because i said so. ;)

~peace.

thursday things - blog-a-thon-ing with natural kids

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when i first heard about this i thought um, no thanks. unless it's to a thrift shop, i don't run. it didn't take me long to realize that this -athon had nothing to do with running a marathon. blogging on purpose? with others? now that's something i can do!



the naturalkids team began in 2007, by woodmouse. a small group whose members shared one mission; to create natural products for children. an early post read:



We are a diverse bunch from all over the globe who have at least one thing in common: we all work with natural materials in our products for children. Oh yeah, and we're all pretty darn crafty & talented too! Wool, wood, cotton...just simple materials direct from the Earth.

So who are we?
Some of us are mothers of small children.
Some of us are mothers of grown children.
Some of us make dolls, some of us make hats, some of us make toys.
Some of us have been selling our wares for many years.
Some of us are just starting to discover our talents and start selling.
Some of us work with natural materials for environmental reasons.
Some of us work with natural materials as part of the Waldorf educational philosophy.
Some of us work with natural materials because we believe they are healthier and safer.
Some of us just like working with natural materials.
Some of us sell our wares for a living.
Some of us sell our wares as a hobby.



since then the group has grown by leaps & bounds. added to the above?



some of us are dads.
some of us are amazed they have the energy to create, now that they have a teeny elfling, & a hobbit in puberty.



back to the blog-a-thon: for the next month i'll be chatting about what i, & other blog-a-thoners are creating for spring. there shall be links to fabulous blogs (to which you are expected to visit - yes, i am bossing you around, but we both know you like when i do.), some with give-aways even!



here are today's blogs: the reluctant city dweller & the fairies' nest & sewn natural studio.



my official springtime-blog-a-thony-give-away is that little lady pictured above. spring is the first in a line of pagan people. she would love to get snuck into an easter basket, put on an ostara alter, or be the envy of the dollhouse. of course, if you're like me, you'd keep her for yourself, & give your wee one an extra egg.

to have her for your very own, leave a comment in this post, telling me your favorite springtime food.
to earn more chances to win you can share my give-away on your blog, tweet the link, & facebook the link. i'm not sure that sentence was grammatically correct, but not much here is.
thehobbit shall draw the winner from his top hat on march 26th. oh! don't forget to come back to let me know about the linking, tweeting, & such.

the contest is officially closed!

good luck! now go read today's blogs, & enter their give-aways. (more blogs tomorrow)
~peace.


** you can also purchase spring here. **

thursday things - 6

did you notice that the other day i hung the above picture over there? -------> of course those of you who subscribe don't see all the sidebar goings-on. in fact, for all you know i deleted both sidebars long ago, & that arrow points only to the next word. you really should visit the blog more often; to see all you're missing.

anyway...

this week's thursday things is natural kids. they are an international group of very talented artisans, who create toys, clothing, & other things for children out of natural materials.

their shop is a portal to each artisan's etsy shop where you can browse by shop name, or by category. they also have a fun blog, to better get to know the group's individuals. the recent post is a delicious, vegan scone recipe. mmmm.

i haven't had a chance to visit each shop, but what i've seen thus far has been beautiful. they take such care with their creations, & it shows. you may have seen some items here, as i featured a few of their artisans last thursday.

they, them, their - all pretty words, but they don't really apply when i write about natural kids. not any longer, at any rate. you see, i am now a very proud member of their group! that's right, my as in: we, us, our! you may woohoo me now :)

thanks for indulging me in a bit of self-congratulatory-thursday-thinging (real word) - i just couldn't help it :)

now i am off to make dinner, & you, my one & only reader, are going to check out my group's shops. heeheehee my group.

~peace.

**blogger is messing with my spacing again.**