i LOVE this!!!



and here

monday maintenance

it's been a domestic morning here. i think i've accomplished more this morning than i did in all of last week. starting some bread, hanging laundry, making some detergent, making another batch of molly's dish soap, and enjoying listening to this:



it's good morning music, but i think it would pair nicely with a beautiful sunset, a slight breeze, a strong drink, and good friends. but that's just me.
you can get a free download from junip by joining their mailing list here.

dog days of summer.

ah, the summer of simplifying. in other words, a summer of slowly filling up the van with boxes and bags for donations (not to mention the recycling bin). today the garage was tackled. matt worked on one side (his studio/work area) and i worked on the other. i think it was close to 100 degrees outside, but by the time we were done the floor had been swept and the van was half full of toys, christmas decorations, a vacuum, and outgrown baby things. it always feels good to unload that stuff and pass it on (to those who will use it), but the job feels far from over. i suppose it could feel that way until the littles are bigger littles. one thing that felt really great was putting away the baby gate. it probably could have been done a couple months ago, but it sat to the side just in case. why we're hanging on to that i can't say, but we are. i'm just glad i don't have to look at it anymore.

the task (if that's the right word) of simplifying is a journey i will be on for some time i think. this stage of de-cluttering is the only way i know how to begin. it's not something new to me, but this go round is a little more intense and has more intention. it's about prioritizing and focusing. it's about cutting out some of the unnecessary things and giving time to the more important ones. it's about less physical/mind clutter and more open/free space. it's about less time spent maintaining and more time on personal growth. it's about less of that and more of us.

lazy days of summer.

hello there!
i am not going to start out by apologizing for being absent from this space of mine (as i usually do). though i think about posting on a daily basis, something is compelling me to keep my distance, so i am just going to go with it.



it's due (partially) to laziness. it's summer so that should be encouraged. my attention(s) are elsewhere. i'm reading more, listening to music more, watching more movies than i should be, lazing about in the high heat of the afternoon under the ceiling fan with at least one small child, and consuming too many desserts that consist of blueberries and lemon cake. and those are just the positive lazy things. there are negative ones too . . .

like the mounds of clean laundry to put away, the stack of dishes in the sink (again), the little green army men littering the floor throughout the house, and the fact that as i type this, there is a browning banana peel literally hanging off the top of the piano. but, i have my back to it so i can pretend its not there for the moment.

p.s. i'm so lazy that the picture i posted is from nearly two years ago because i didn't feel like uploading pictures tonight.

***and here's some nice lazy relaxing music to enjoy***

proof of knitting.

really, it does happen on occasion. and sometimes i even finish a project. like this little number.

the baby shrug knit up in sock weight midnight from shibui knits. this was my first time knitting with shibui. the name alone would make me buy it. i love saying that word! i enjoyed working with it and if i were a sock knitter that actually finished a PAIR of socks, i would definitely use this yarn for a pair. i also chose this yarn for the color. i knew i would love how it looks on bea with her blonde locks (even though at the time of purchase it was barely more than blonde fluff). i was not disappointed.



the pattern was well written, easy to follow. the main pattern is a four row repeat, which after a few rounds was easy to memorize.
it also hides errors pretty well. i'm sure i made a few. i opted not to do the buttonholes, because i didn't foresee using them.
still looks great without them i think. they seemed unnecessary, unless you just want some extra embellishment. the pattern says that each size (0 to 3 yrs) will fit a wide range of ages. i didn't do gauge (because i'm lazy) and i'd say this is true. i knit the medium (1 to 2 yrs) and it fits both bea and henry (though it's a little snug on him). and yes, he was a willing model.




the day i shot these photos, bea was not so willing to put it on. i had to wait hours for her to agree. i thought it was yet another knit to be denied by her. but, i feel redeemed. when we were on vacation last week she was cold so i put it on her. later in the day when it had warmed up again i thought she might be getting hot and asked if she wanted to take it off and she said NO!
i was so relieved. my knitting queue for her is long. it would be no fun to have a girl who doesn't want to wear knits!



so now i am drifting in project limbo. i have some sewing projects on the table, but no knitting ones as of now. randomly working on dishcloths to keep my hands busy during movies. i am on the search for a sweater pattern for henry. so far i haven't found anything i loved. any suggestions out there?

pool time.

still feeling quiet. i just don't feel like i have a lot to say right now. bear with me.

we are getting well acquainted with the pool around here. whether it's this one or the blow up one in the backyard.
and in about a week and a half it will be all about the ocean. really looking forward to that. it's time to gear up for that
trip mentally!

quiet.

not much to say lately. the words will come back. for now maybe just some visuals.

the norm.

a typical conversation around here lately.

"mom!"
"what?"
"mom? mommy? mom?"
"yes?"
"mommy?"
"i said what?"
"mom - o!"
"WHAT?"
"mom. mom. mom."
"i'm listening."
"mom?"
"what henry?"
"mom."

repeat 43 times a day.