short dates

We've been too busy this semester to schedule any real dates - but we've had fun nonetheless catching a few special moments.  Here's a little catch up.

20 minute Valentine's dinner

the guest list

the party planning committee

L's painting of "Mommy and Daddy kissing on their wedding day"

3 minute anniversary date photo

Spring Dresses

I saw this crazy simple lovely shirred skirt tutorial a month or so ago, and while I still haven't made one for myself, I thought that it would work so well with the pajama pattern I had just made for the girls.  But instead, I decided to lengthen the top and make it a dress, making it flare out a bit at the bottom.  I did about 10 rows of shirring. Again it was super simple, and it looked so lovely with a little sweater.

I think Lou's dress turned out looking more pajama like, but I think it's because the fabric is a bit thin.  Anyway, it would make a great night gown, too, right?

And then I made bloomers, cause let me tell you teaching a 4 year old to keep her skirt down is rough (let's not even mention the 2 year old).  Again I used the same pajama pants pattern, but made them really short. I used some stretch lace around the legs to make them snug around the legs and add a little frill.  Unfortunately, you can't see the lace at all here, because by the time I took this photo they'd been running around through the grass like crazy, and I feel like a bad mom when I make my kids stand still for pictures too long (not to mention pictures of their bloomers).  But anyway, you get the idea.

I realized as I took these photos that this will be our last summer here at this house, which is oh so bittersweet.  Such lovely memories here.

Spring Pajamas!

I have to preface this post with the disclaimer that I don't usually make clothing patterns - and the main reason is that I really don't know how to convert something from one size to another.  Still I like to sew clothes when I can, and I can't help but love the simplicity of this style of shirt.  So anyway, don't think of this as a pattern so much as a how-I-did-it-maybe-you-can-too.

These pjs were made during a few stolen hours one  Saturday, when I was supposed to be sewing for the book.  I saw this very pink flowery fabric and it suddenly dawned on me - this would be perfect for light spring pajamas! - because, I don't know why, but they love to be extra girly at pajama time. 

I realized (while taking the picture of my unwilling models) that these clothes are a whole lot like the doll clothes patterns I've posted before.  And because that's true, I haven't bothered to draft the pants here.  If you need help, check out my doll clothes pattern, or have a look at Soulemama or Rookiemoms. I always trace a pair of pants I already have.

The shirt is basically a raglan shirt with a really wide neck. You add elastic to make it a normal size with a ruffly kind of look.

The size I drafted below is what I'm calling a 3T. I enlarged it for the older kid, and it seemed a little too big, so then I had to take it up.  So it seems like if you're enlarging you need to add less width than height?  Does that sound right?  Anybody know?

Well, anyway.  The dimensions I used are below, with instructions for the shirt in the photo.  It's super easy (just the way I like it), I made both sets of pjs in only a couple of hours.

And coming soon,  I turned this same pattern into a spring dress set...

Land scouts

I'm so looking forward to summer so I can start my garden.  John is busy with the house this summer,  so I'm taking charge of the garden - and I feel more than a little nervous about it to tell the truth.  I usually flake out.  You'll have to remind me to go take care of it.

The local wisdom around here says not to plant your garden until after Easter.  Unfortunately, the tornado weather has kept me from getting my seedlings out.  Maybe this weekend?

I've also been looking forward to summer because I want to earn Land Scout badges! Urban Land Scouts was started by Katie Ries and teaches and encourages people to be good stewards to the land where they live, especially barren or wasted land.  I love this idea, even though I definitely live in a rural area.  So I was thrilled to receive my first two badges, after I posted about our seed bombing! (one for the seed bombs, and one for blogging about it)  There's loads of information to get started on the website.  Check it out, and become a land scout!

Now any ideas where to put my badges?  I'm thinking, another messenger bag?

Colored Eggs

Easter is almost here, and we're getting ready by dyeing eggs.

A few people asked questions about our eggs so here's a quick summary:
We have six hens and one rooster. Two hens are bantams and give small eggs, while the rest lay extra large ones. It makes measuring interesting. We get almost 3 dozen eggs per week, which is a little too much for us, but not quite enough to bother trying to sell at the farmer's market. We've been sharing with friends, but we're also going to start making more egg dishes. When we move to our own land, we'd like them to be free range, but right now they have a pretty good size run in the woods. All the grass is gone, but we give the grass clippings from the mower when we can and cracked corn every day.

So here they are before. I wasn't sure how the colors would work with some of the dark brown eggs. It just happens that all the bantam eggs are lighter rose and green colors, so most of what I dyed are the small lighter eggs.

And here's a few shots of the after. Mom, L and I made them using yellow onion skins and turmeric, and one bowl where we mixed the two dyes together. Find instructions on Martha and here. It didn't make a true red, but a nice burnt sienna kind of color, and the turmeric a rich gold, and mixed together marigold - my favorite. Notice the un-dyed eggs in the back, one brown and one green bantam.

Signs of Spring

We Wilsons have become avid bird watchers from our kitchen window. Our list is getting longer and longer. Some of our favorites this year: Juncos, Cardinals, Purple Finches, and Nuthatches.

Tomatoes and marigolds started indoors will soon be ready to go out!

Our chickens are laying almost 3 dozen eggs a week! Whew! Egg recipes sure to follow.

Springing Forward

I just realized I've hardly posted about anything but food for months. I guess I've been on an extra long break. Last year, I completed several exciting goals, and I think I just wanted to step back and enjoy that for awhile without a lot of new pressures.



With Spring approaching, we've been enjoying playing outdoors, we celebrated our 5th anniversary, and I've begun a new fun project. So, I wanted to assure you I have a new pattern coming soon. Here's a little sneak peak. I'm taking my time, so no promises on when it will be ready.


Happy {almost} Spring!

Lessons Learned

As I said before, things are slowing down around here as our due date approaches. This has been a hard lesson for me to learn, but I'm getting there.


I bought Houseplants for Dummies recently, and I've been really focusing on nurturing my two favorite plants: my bright pink fittonia and my grandmother's jade. My fittonia has been too big and straggly rather than low and bushy, so I've been slowly trimming and propagating it. With a little patience and persistent watering, it's been very successful.

The jade plant really needed to be repotted and put out in the sun, so I was glad for spring sunshine. I've been interested in succulents lately, and I was embarrassed to learn the jade is a succulent. So now, it's also doing much better with proper watering ("drench and let dry" rather than "the fittonia is falling over again, eh, let's throw some water on the jade, too"). I guess I got the "for dummies" book for a reason.


L and I propagated a few new ones yesterday because I can't help but make more plants. L actually participated in the potting, which was fun to see. We put some of her pretty rocks from her rock collection on the tops of the pots. The blue pot with lots of rocks (and cool vintage watering spike) is her handiwork.


Unrelated, another valuable lesson learned a little late in life: Shake the orange juice before every glass. Otherwise the last glass is very pulpy.

Spring

I like fall, but I love spring. The warm weather has made me feel so hopeful and cheerful lately. Here's some spring loveliness around our house:

John's got tomato seedlings in the window. He gave the lawn its first hair cut this past week, and everything looks fresh and clean. Soon we'll be getting our garden together, although we're going to keep it small this year. I think we say that every year.


My houseplants have been looking a little ragged lately. Willem's been eating the leaves of my poor dracaena plant - he also almost killed John's peace lily - so we're all glad he's able to get outside more. My jade plant was looking a little thin, so I moved it to the porch - it gets some sun from my window, but it really likes to be outside.


We have a few other residents on our porch now. John got some chicks last week. They'll have to stay under the heat lamp for another month or so, but then he'll move them out to the big chicken coop. He's been cleaning and suring it up for them. We haven't had chickens for awhile, so we're excited to get back in the game. Keep your fingers crossed for hens!

One year, Three months, and Many Dollars Later...

We finally got eggs! We realized our old hen was never going to lay, and so this spring John got two new hens. They were still young and weren't expected to lay until this fall. And FINALLY, last thursday, we looked and found two eggs! There were two more when we got back from our weekend and one more on Monday morning. I didn't check this morning. But we've got plenty of eggs now, so we're going to be eating omelets like crazy.