:: a happy nest ::

marshmallow building.

A little while back, I saw a blog post about building with marshmallows and toothpicks (though I cannot for the life of me remember where I saw it!). When cleaning out our cabinent last weekend, I found a half-empty bag of stale marshmallows. So, we decided to have a little fun.

Thea immediately began building all sorts of fun animals.

And of course, we needed something for the animals to run around in. We started out with a little fenced in area, but as she built more animals, we needed something bigger. Thea suggested a barn (see first photo above).

But of course, her favorite part was eating the marshmallows. She didn't care one bit that they were stale.

Such fun!

little birdie book bag.

Remember this little birdie? It finally found it's way onto Thea's new book bag.

I made a simple reversible rectangle bag to fit her library books, and the little birdie is the outer pocket. The pocket is lined - I made it just how I made the pocket for the snowman felt play board.

The reverse of the bag is the same tiny yellow polka dots that I used in the birdie applique, and the pocket is the same as the red outer fabric.

Since my girl always has her hands full, and loves to carry arounda collection of whatever is most interesting to her at the moment, a new bag is always welcome.

Upon receiving this one, she declared it the perfect spot for her favorite little penguin - and tucked him right inside.

A few more of these are in the works - they are such a simple, useful, and satisfying project.

green smoothies.

As I mentioned before, I've been enjoying a couple of smoothies each day. Usually my afternoon snack is a green smoothie. I thought I'd share a couple of my favorite green smoothie recipes with you.

ginger - pear green smoothie

(I just made this one this week, and it is my new favorite!)

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2 cup coconut water or filtered water

1 large ripe pear, cored and cut into chunks

1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and quartered

2 leaves kale

2 handfuls baby spinach

4 ice cubes

 

avacado - kale green smoothie

1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk

1/2 cup coconut water or filtered water

1/4 ripe avacado

3/4 cup frozen mango or pineapple

2 leaves kale

1 handful spinach

3-4 ice cubes

 

and my breakfast smoothie, which isn't green but is so yummy and has been keeping me full all morning

 

banana berry smoothie

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2 cup coconut water or filtered water

1 banana

1 TBS almond butter

1 scoop protein powder (I have been using a vegan blend made from sprouted grains)

1 scoop greens powder

1 cup mixed berries (I use blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries)

1 TBS flax oil (optional)

 

Do you have any smoothie recipes I should know about?

grateful monday.

Feeling grateful...

For the sweet little things John does each day that bring us so much joy - like drawing hearts on the window as he leaves for work.

For the best cookies ever (vegan samoas) and my awesome neighbor who shared them with us. (This was a couple of weeks ago, before I really jumped into my new eating habits, but I forgot to mention it before. I am still dreaming about them. They were that good. Oh yes.)

For a gym date with a fantastic friend tomorrow afternoon.

For a fun evening at my mother-in-law's house, seeing some of her ideas for art with wee ones. She truly is a creative genius.

For the constant support of my husband.

For other mamas offering insight and support on difficult parenting day.

For finished sewing projects.

For lots of creative fun with my week girl.

For John teaching Thea some of the ballet moves from her new favorite library book - and watching her dance all day long. She is completely obsessed with ballet dancing these days.

What are you feeling grateful for today?

healing.

At the start of the year, I mentioned that one of my big hopes for 2011 was to begin to heal my body. I thought I would share some of what that process looks like for me.

I have wanted to do a deep cleanse for a while now, but, since I was nursing, it wasn't really an option. After Thea weaned, I began looking at different cleansing methods. Initially, I had planned to follow the plan in this book. I was drawn to it because it allows you to eat a solid meal each day (many others prescribe just having various liquids - juices, smoothies, lemon juice & maple syrup, etc.) My husband will verify that I am not the most pleasant person to be around when I am hungry. So, this plan seemed more gentle, yet effective. 

But as I read and reasearched, I learned that a cleanse is generally not recommended for someone with signs of adrenal fatigue, as your body may not be able to sufficiently detoxify, making you sicker. So, back to research I went and ended up starting the plan outlined in this book - a gradual and gentle six-week plan.

The biggest changes I have made are dietary. I eliminated wheat, dairy, and added sugars, and greatly reduced my intake of caffiene (though I don't drink coffee, I was drinking a lot of black tea). My diet is vegan and primarly fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains - mostly brown rice, quinoa, and gluten-free oats. I have been eating about 20+ servings of fruits and vegetables a day, and I started having a smoothie for breakfast and for an afternoon snack (I {heart} my vita-mix. Big thanks to my neighbor for telling me that you can get a reconditioned one for much cheaper). Honestly, this didn't feel all that drastic to me, since, because of Thea's food allergies, I have been on a restriced diet of one kind or another for quite some time. It's been almost 2 weeks, and I already feel so much better. And I've lost a little bit of weight, which is an added (and needed!) bonus.

I have also been doing quite a bit of research on how dietary changes can improve my muscular condition. I have not noticed much (if any) improvement resulting from my current diet, but I am really paying attention to how certain foods affect me. I'm going to continue to make gradual changes in this area.

I'm also going to be adding in more exercise, but really, I've found that if I try to do everything at once, I'm setting myself up for not following through. I will admit that our poor dog has been neglected, as I have been battling one virus after another since just after Christmas. But I am feeling better, and we're back on the daily walks. 

So, that's where I am right now on this path of healing. This is where a good bit of my time and energy is being spent, so I wanted to document it here. I hope it wasn't a total bore!

little birdie.

I've been wanting to learn to applique for quite some time. I tried it before, early in my sewing days, and it never turned out quite right. Last week, I decided to try again. This is my very first one - practice for another project I just finished up (more on that later). I think it's pretty cute for a first try - I think I'll make it into a pocket for the new library bag I'm making Thea.

I hope your week is off to a good start.

Tweet, tweet!

i like her style.

This morning, I told Thea that I wanted to do some sewing for her room, and I asked if she wanted to pick out some fabric. This is what she chose. It's a small bit of sweet vintage fabric that I've been saving for a special project. I think this qualifies, no? I've been wanting to make a new pillow for the rocker in her room, and I think this will be a good place to start. I must say, I think she's got good taste. {wink}

grateful monday.

Feeling grateful...

For sweet moments with my girl.

For my mama.

For my super-amazing husband making sure I got plenty of rest while sick.

For my vitamix.

For my new ikea catalouge.

For the little thrill of teaching myself a new skill.

For good, clean, healthy food.

For the ability our bodies have to heal themselves.

For friendship.

For last week's sewing lesson.

What are you feeling grateful for today?

big shop update.

In my continued efforts to create open space in my studio, I'm listing some of my beloved vintage linens in the shop. There are a number of sweet and fun pillowcases, and quite a few uncut sheets - many of which are brand new. I particularly love vintage linens for their wonderful colors and patterns, and for the amazing yardage they offer. I'm a bit sad to see these go, but I'm hoping they will find wonderful new homes. So, if you're into that sort of thing, head on over and take a peek.

repurposing fabric.

In clearing and recreating my studio, one of the projects I'm working on is sorting through and reducing my fabric stash. I'm giving some of it away, listing some in my etsy shop, and finding ways to repurpose a good bit of it.

One of the big projects I've started is making rugs for the new studio space and for Thea's bedroom - using the instructions in Amanda Soule's Handmade Home. Mostly, I'm using the vintage and reclaimed linens I've been collecting. Thea and I have been having fun tearing fabric into long strips and sorting it by color.

I expect this project to take a bit of time. So far, I'm enjoying the process. More to come on this one...