:: a happy nest ::

mountain magic.

On Friday, we headed up to the mountain cabin of our dear friends Tom and Judy. Their wonderful cabin is in the Allegheny Mountains, just outside of Franklin, WV.  It has been nearly four years since we visited - we hadn't been since the very beginning of my pregnancy with Thea.

The landscape is so dramatically different from ours here in the city - and I had forgotten just how breathtaking it is. From the leggy trees in the valley to the gorgeous ferns and dappled sunlight covering the forest floor.

The mountain laurel was in bloom, and was quite a sight.

And in between all of the woodland beauty are incredible bucolic scenes.

There are endless opportunities for exploring. As she grows older, I look forward to broadening and lengthening our adventures with Thea in this magical place.

We went for several adventures on Tom and Judy's gator, which made it easier to travel a bit further from their cabin. Thea even got to drive with her dad.

I'd say someone was having a good time.

We saw an entire family of deer, including a "teeny-tiny baby" (Thea's words). We filled up our water bottles with cold water from the mountain spring. And Thea collected endless treasures in her basket.

She continues to help me find joy in even the simplest of things. Children are so magical!

We were so fortunate to spend the weekend with not only Tom and Judy, but our friend Jing Tao, who is visiting from China, as well as David and Anita, who came all the way from Houston, TX. Jing Tao is such a kind, gentle, and curious soul. It is such a gift to be in his presence. I had long talks with David, whose son John died in September from cystic fibrosis. Anita spent hours on the porch knitting and sewing, and Thea worked on her very first sewing project.

Thea was totally smitten with "Miss Anita" who spent so much time showing her all of her knitting projects and letting Thea feel all of her different yarns. She even made her a special bracelet and gave Thea a piece of wool she had felted. 

We experienced terriffic thunder storms, and beautiful sunsets. I was completely taken with the incredible light.

While we returned home more than a little exhausted, I still feel completley full from the quiet, the adventure, and the family time this mountain retreat offered us.

I am so grateful for this time, and for our generous friends who opened their home to us.

 

 

snowman felt play board & tutorial.

 
I have a little girl who loves snowmen. So, when I saw how much she loved the felt play board she received for Christmas, I got the idea to make her one with her favorite snowy friends.

I sewed a pocket on the back to keep all of the felt pieces with the board.

Here's how to make your own. It's easy!

supplies needed:

-rectangle of cardboard
felt large enough to cover cardboard, plus 1 inch on each side (I used eco-felt for the background and a mix of eco-felt and wool-blend felt for the rest of the pieces)
-felt scraps in various colors
-fabric large enough to cover the back of your board (heavier weight works best)
-fabric for back pocket
-scissors
-hot glue gun
-iron/ironing board
-sewing machine (optional)
-coordinating thread (if sewing)

Cut your cardboard into a rectangle. Since I didn't want to buy anything for this project, I cut mine to a size that was slightly smaller than the felt I had on hand.

Cut the corners off of your cardboard. This makes it easier to wrap the felt around the edges.

Before covering the board with the felt, I covered it with a piece white paper. I did this so that the brown of the cardboard wouldn't show through the eco-felt I used (eco-felt tends to be quite a bit thinner than wool or wool-blend felt).

Cut the paper so that it is 1 inch larger on all sides than your cardboard. Fold the paper around the edges of the cardboard, pulling it tightly as you go. I folded all the way around before I started gluing. (I was experimenting with making cuts in the paper and possibly the felt to see if that reduced bulk around the corners, but in the end, I decided that it wasn't necessary. So just ignore all those cuts in my paper!)

Hot glue around all of the edges of the paper and press firmly to the cardboard.  Glue down any loose edges. This is what mine looked like when I was done:

 

Now to cover the cardboard with the felt.

If you want to do a two-toned background, now is the time to cut the shape of the bottom. I wanted the look of a rolling hill, so I cut a template from regular paper first and then traced it on the felt, but you could also just free-cut this part. And I think just one color for the background would work wonderfully too.

Place your sheets of felt over the cardboard, and adjust them to how you want them to look on your finished board. My white felt slightly overlaps the blue felt.

Flip the whole thing over so that the top of your board is face down. You should have about 1 inch of felt on each side of the board.

Begin to glue the felt, being certain to pull the felt very tightly as you go. Remember to work quickly with the hot glue because it dries rather fast. I glued the entire blue sheet down before I started on the white.

After I had glued the blue felt on, I flipped my board over to make sure the white felt was positioned how I wanted it.

Remember to pull the felt tightly as you glue.

Once you are finished gluing the back, flip your board over. If you used two pieces of felt, lift the overlapping layer and use a small amount of glue along the edges to secure this piece to the bottom piece of felt.

Now to cover the back.

Cut your fabric into a rectangle the same size as your cardboard. Cut the corners, just like you did with the cardboard.

Fold the edges of the fabric over about 1/2" towards the wrong side of the fabric. Do this all the way around the rectangle, ironing the edges down as you go.

For the back, I made a simple lined pocket. To do this, cut two rectangles slightly smaller than the back of the fabric.

(if you don't want to sew, you can still make the pocket, just iron down the edges as described below, gluing the edges down. Once all the edges are secure, glue the pocket to the backing fabric.)

Pin them right sides together.

Sew together three sides of the rectangle (be sure to leave one side open to turn the pocket right-side out), back-stitching at the start and end of your stitching.

I left one of the long edges open.

Turn the pocket right-sides out, using a turning tool (I use a chop stick) to push out the corners.

Iron the pocket flat.

On the open side, turn the edges about 1/2 inch inwards (toward the wrong side of the fabric) and iron.

Center the pocket onto your backing fabric and pin to secure. I placed the pocket the open/unstitched side is on the BOTTOM so that it was sewn shut when I stitched the pocket to the backing.

Stitch around the sides and bottom of the pocket, leaving the top open.

 

 

Center the fabric backing on the cardboard.

Glue all the way around the edges, working quickly and pressing the fabric firmly to the cardboard.

Now cut the shapes you want to use on the front. I was going for a snowman theme, so I cut different size circles from ivory felt, and then hats, carrot noses, eyes, scarves, pipes, and a big yellow sunshine. I used a template for the circles, but I just free-cut all the rest.

And you're done!

I hope your little one enjoys this as much as mine does.

spin art.

A while ago, on one of my favorite blogs, I read about spin art. It looked like such fun! So, when I saw this little spin art kit, I picked it up for Thea's stocking. She's been asking to try it daily, and this morning, we we gave it a go.

We both had so much fun with this. My favorite part was that Thea could actually spin the disk and squeeze the paint all by herself. I'm pretty sure that was her favorite part too. (As a side note, I didn't experience the problems stated in the reviews. Our spinner worked just fine, and while the box does get a little soggy, the paint didn't really last that long. These may have been bigger issues for an older kid, but it worked out pretty well for my pre-schooler's somewhat limited attention span. And I never really expected this to be a long-lasting toy/art tool, though I may try to come up with another type of box to make it work after this one is done).

I'm a little bit embarassed to admit this, but when our paint ran out, I knew we should be able to refill the little paint tubes, but, since there was no screw top, I wasn't exactly sure how. It took me a little bit to figure it out. Again, I'm sure this is a no-brainer for most, but I thought I'd share how I did it. I hope you at least get a little laugh.

Here goes:

empty tubes

I started with tempera paint and an empty cup. This is actually the top for my laundry detergent.

I used about a teaspoon of paint.

And added about a tablespoon of water.

Stir well (I used the paint tube).

Mine ended up fairly watery - maybe a tad thicker than the original paint.

Squeeze out the air from the tube and put the tip into the paint. Release, the pressure, which will allow the tube to suck up paint. My tube only filled up about 1/3 of the way. Turn the tube so that the tip points up, and slowly squeeze out the air. Insert the tip of the tube into the paint and then release again. Repeat until your tube is filled.

And you're done.

I know, I know, so easy! I'm not sure why I didn't think of it sooner. :)

Happy weekend!

 

handmade holidays: knotted tutu.

For a while now, Thea has been asking me to make her a tutu. I decided to suprise her with one for Christmas.

I chose blue, as she has been obsessed with a "blue tutu dancing skirt" since she saw one in a neighbor's fantastic dress-up box.

This was so easy to make!

I started with a length of 1 inch elastic, cut to measure around Thea's waist (19 inches), and sewn together with a simple zig-zag stitch (this could also be hand-sewn).

I used about 8 yards of tulle, cut from a bolt (I used 2 shades of blue, so 4 yds from each bolt). I was a bit suprised that I actually used that much, but it seemed the perfect amount for a toddler-sized tutu. I kept the tulle folded in half and cut 5-6 inch strips with my rotary cutter and mat. You want your strips to be 5-6 inches in width and twice as long as your desired length.

I had read a while ago (but I can't remember where) that the easiest way to do the tying was to pull the elastic up around your thigh and sit while knotting. I tied all the strips around the elastic, alternating the colors.

To finish it up, I randomly cut some of the strips a couple inches shorter to give it more depth and texture.

In all of my cutting, I didn't worry too much about making straight cuts. I think the randomness of the cuts adds to the charm.

As I said, a super-easy and fast project. It took me less than 45 minutes, start to finish. (and I later discovered that they sell tulle in 6-inch width rolls, which would have made this go even faster).

If you make one, I'd love to see how yours turns out.

I'll post a photo of Thea sometime after Christmas day.

a snowy day.

All week, the weather forecasters have been calling for snow. This morning, it finally arrived. Thea was just beside herself.

We spent most of the day cozying up inside.

We made vegan hot cocoa - Thea's first (she had an allergy to chocolate - we're currently in the process of testing foods to see how she reacts - so far, so good!).

She declared that the cocoa was "just too yucky," but the marshmallows were a big hit!

At my mom's suggestion, we made a little sled so she could take her best furry for a ride.

We started out by decorating a box left over from my days of jewelry making.

Then she snuggled "Hammy" in for a ride.

And then it was time to take him for a spin.

We made lots of paper snowflakes (which are very addicting!).

And after her nap, she had lots of cuddle time with her dad.

We ended the day with a sledding adventure.

We're so lucky to have such fantastic neighbor-friends.

Tomorrow, we're headed to the snow slope for more outside fun.

Stay warm!

art wall.

Lately, Thea has been really into creating with paint and glue. In fact, I think she could do it all day long. As a result, we were collecting quite a stack of paper canvases.

We recently did some painting and a furniture swap in our sunroom, and I've been trying to think of the right thing to put on one large wall that was quite bare. Then in occurred to me that this was the perfect wall to display Thea's artwork.

I used two screws and a piece of paper twine, and small clothes pins to hang each piece.

I love it. And she does too. She gets so excited to see the things she's made on display for the world to see. "I MADE that!" she says, over and over. Such joy.

(On top of the cabinet - where we store our art supplies - is a small terrarium that Thea made a few weeks ago at our local farmer's market.)

And here are a few shots of the artist at work.

 

While we've been spending a lot of time in the art room of our local Children's Museum, this week, after Thea had surgery to repair and umbilical hernia, we've been working with what we have at home. 

The sweet nurse who took care of Thea after her surgery let us take home her hospital gown. We think it makes a perfect art smock!

How do you display your child's art?

tea time.

handmade tea bags for Thea's play kitchen

In this house, we drink a lot of tea. During the colder months, I usually sip hot tea with a touch of honey all day long. Yum.

Thea has fallen in love with tea too - not drinking it - but the ritual of making it. Each morning, she helps John prepare tea for the two of us. She helps him open the tea and put the bag into the pot or tea cup. (Now that I am drinking mostly loose tea, I'll have to come up with another way for her to help).

She knows whose tea is whose by the color of the tag - red tea (English Breakfast) for dad and yellow or green tea for mama.

For her birthday, I had been looking for a tea set to add to her play kitchen. I finally decided on this one, made from recycled plastic milk jugs. The set is very sweet, but it just didn't seem complete without tea to go along with it.

So, I came up with some simple little tea bags that Thea can use to make her own tea.

I had originally planned to make them out of felt, but then had the idea to use some natural muslin instead, making the tea bags just a tad more realistic. I put a little bit of quinoa inside to give them a little weight, and added some cotton strings and felt tags in red, yellow, and green. Simple and sweet.

 

If it wasn't for my sewing machine jamming up, this project would have taken only about 20 minutes or so. Super easy.

I'm curious - if your child has a play kitchen, what types of food or accessories does he or she love the most?

sweet sunshine.

Thea and John walking, holding hands with Frogger

We are in the middle of several days of rain. Yesterday afternoon, the sun broke through for a few glorious hours, and we headed to Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden to enjoy the warmth and see the first of spring's flowers in bloom.

balancing

Isn't Thea's pinafore sweet? It was made by my friend Beth (who is doing the most amazing things over on her blog!). I am truly in awe of her sewing skills. This gorgeous little top is perfect in every way. And Thea loves it too. I think she would wear it every single day if she could.

 

chalk drawing

Even in the garden's off-season, there is plenty to explore, and plenty to keep little ones engaged.

sweeping and gathering gourds

We stayed until the garden closed, and Thea didn't want to leave.

And we made it home with enough daylight left to take the pup for a walk and enjoy a quick romp at the playground.

We saw some neighborhood friends there, and they showed us how much fun a hula hoop can be.

Today, the rain is back, but we're due for more warm and sunny days later this week. I can hardly wait!

I hope you had a lovely weekend!

splish - splash.

This week, we have been living in the land of sick. We've all had colds, and Thea has another ear infection - her second in a month. We've been staying in, trying to keep our germs to ourselves.

Yesterday afternoon, a certain someone was bored. We needed something new to keep us occupied. So, we improvised and made a water table. 

 

Thea couldn't have been happier. She was completely engaged in play for well over an hour.

 

She splashed and poured. She filled and she emptied.

 

She gave her "friends" a bath. (Thanks, Jonah, for sharing them with us!)

And she even kept most of the water in the tub.

 

I'd love to know - what are your favorite things to do when you're stuck inside the house for days on end?

another snowy weekend.

This past weekend, we had yet another big snowstorm. I must say, I'm more than a little over the snow. But it came, and there was nothing else to do but enjoy it.

On Saturday, it snowed all day long. In an attempt to recover from a cold (or something) that has been lurking for a couple of weeks, I spent the morning in bed. Meanwhile John tried his best to entertain the tot and the pup. I can safely say that everyone was more than a little stir crazy.

There was drawing:

 

And stacking:

And building:

 

And running like crazy through the falling snow:

By the end of the day, Thea was plotting her escape, using her newly found skill of unlocking the storm door.

There was nothing else to do but scoop her up and head to the kitchen for some dancing and silly photos.

(Per Thea's request, we were dancing to this and this).

On Sunday, the sun was out, and we headed back to the snow slope.

I think it is safe to say that Thea loves sledding.

 

During Thea's nap, John and I hit the slope again. I even talked him into pulling me along for a ride around the backyard.

 

It was a perfect afternoon.

 

 

How was your weekend?