[MAMA MADE] Knit + Purl

There is a definite change in season happening here on the coast - the days are getting noticably shorter, the air damp and cool and soon our little island will be filled with the scent of cedar and smoke from our wood stoves.

Fall is coming in fast, and with it brings the warmth and coziness this beautiful season has to offer. My favourite way to welcome fall - dig out my yarn and needles and start knitting. I LOVE KNITTING. Here we are at the end of August, and I have already completed my first project for Chloe. A little knitted cowl that can be worn over her shoulders or bunched around her neck. I started it last week, hoping to have it finished by Thanksgiving (I'm not very fast)...and here it is...DONE! Pretty impressed with this pattern - not only is it super cute, but it's also easy, fast, and the garment will last for more than just one season.

[MAMA MADE] Summer Market

Well, after the driest summer on record, I decided to choose yesterday (Sunday) to participate in our local summer market. Of course, it POURED!! Oh that silly Murphy and his law (what's Murphy's Law anyways??). So, my sales totalled a whopping $2.00 after purchasing the table and buying a hamburger - sigh. BUT, the good news...my display turned out GREAT and there's still a few weeks left to sell.

With the lack of sewing space, time and a (very) limited budget, I had to get creative with my craft of choice - so I turned to this beautiful island for inspiration. My table consisted of terrariums collected from different areas of Bowen, driftwood sailboats, floating glass necklaces filled with bits and pieces of nature and little specimen boxes of curiosities.

The labels are inspired by scientific specimen and vintage luggage tags, and the curio boxes remind me of pretty soap packaging...I love how they turned out. Unfortunately, most of them got a bit wet during our stormy start, so I'll have to re-do them (grrrrrrrr).

The table was so much fun to set up. I used an old little side table that I found in our basement, an upside down crate to display the terrariums, and an antique window became a pretty raised platform. Doily bowls displayed seashells and necklaces, and some cool pieces of driftwood with lettering on them, became my jewellry display. Starfish and sandollars added some under the sea pizazz and my barn board mirror from the bathroom added some pretty, reflective sparkle. All very simple pieces that packed a big punch.

Okay, time to check the weather forecast for next weekend...and if all else fails, my new home decor will be nautical...!

[HOMESTEAD] My Corner

I am a pattern hoarder. There I said it...that's the first step, right?? I have patterns shoved on shelves and binders, but mostly, hidden away in my computer (some haven't even been downloaded yet from my e-mail...shameful). So last week, I spent the day, and way too much ink, printing everything, hole punching and organizing into binders. Needless to say, the sewing bug has hit me big time!! But where oh where to sew...that's been the dilemma since turning my space into Chloe's room.

So yesterday, I decided to end this dilemma once and for all. Sorry Geoff, but the bedroom is now a craft room, with a bed in the middle. Okay, so not ideal, but it will (hopefully) do the trick.

My favourite mason jar shelf that I made a few years ago - it does such a great job keeping all the little bits and pieces that come with sewing, up off your work space but still in clear view.

This shelving unit, we used with baskets for Chloe when she was first born, to house her clothing and toys in our room. Now, it's filled with my fabrics, patterns, craft books, and other miscellaneous sewing goods. I love it.

This little area outside our room has been a number of spaces since moving here. It started as a little playroom for Logan, then turned into a cozy reading nook and quiet toy area for Logan when Chloe was born (and when I was on bedrest for the last few months of my pregnancy). Now it's a craft room for my littles.

Logan's space: a sewing table that I picked up for free (love that), a shelving unit with green wire baskets for all his scissors, markers, glues, etc., portable clear bins for stickers, construction paper, activity books and stencils and a funky lamp.

Chloe's space has Logan's old Melissa and Doug's art easel, a little shelving unit with her puzzles and an Ikea hanging mesh bag filled to the brim with stuffies. The rubber mat keeps the easel from slipping and makes painting cleanups easy. Now to figure out how to keep her stickers off the floor and on her paper!

It's amazing what you can do with awkward little nooks and crannies in your home.

[LIVING LAB] Lab Happenings

Our home lab has moved from the living room to the great outdoors a.k.a. our deck. Last week, we brought home a gorgeous crayfish to study for a couple days. We used a large, deep storage container to set up it's habitat and filled it with water from the creek, smooth stones and a curved piece of wood to create a cave. We loved watching it hide in the cave and hang upside own from the underside of the log. We let it go two days later in the same creek where we found it. Thanks for visiting us little crayfish!

Remember these guys?? Yup, they're still hanging around and taking their sweet time to turn into frogs. We're going to let them go back in the pond today, as I'm worried they're going to kick the bucket if they stay here much longer (although, they've survived since March!!).

We've spotted some cool looking cocoons recently...so I'm thinking that will be our next study, as we're very curious to see what is living inside. The mysteries of nature never cease to amaze!!

[MAMA MADE] Natural Curiosities

I love to obsess over collect little bits and pieces of our GORGEOUS island. Everything from seashells to wasp nests, snake skins to lichen are welcome in our home. Our nature shelf runneth over and is now two shelves...which are full! So after many many hours spent taking a peek at Pinterest, I was overloaded with inspiration. Unfortunately, my husband has been working, working, working this summer (and rock climbing...no jealousy or ill thoughts there...), my kids have been snotty (from the nose...and a bit in the attitude department), I've been super sick with allergies and of course, our poor kitty, had to be put down in the middle of all this...so my crafting took place in my head, in the middle of my non-drowsy, cough syrup induced insomnia. Such a pretty picture.

Anyhoo, I decided that it was high time I put some of my ideas of having a 'Natural Curiosity' table at the summer market into action. I started with some simple, little terrariums. These plants were all found on the cliffsides of one of our favourite spots on the island. Lichen, grasses, succulents, stones, driftwood and feathery moss fill these small glass containers. I planted them a week or so ago, to make sure all the plants took, which they did - can't wait to package these beauties up with some pretty twine and tags listing the plants, and place where discovered.

Another idea I had, was to make little specimen boxes with some of our beach and forest treasures. I started these yesterday and am really having fun putting them together. The boxes are made from kraft jewelry boxes, which I trimmed the inside with washi tape (why don't they make the kraft paper go all the way to the bottom of the box...looks so messy, ARGH), and the artwork is adhered to wooden game pieces I purchased a few years ago, which just happen to fit perfectly! Rather than using the box lid, I will be making match box style sleeves to slide over. So fun - but almost seems a shame to have these little pieces hidden...hmmmmm...perhaps some shadow boxes may need to happen.

Forest terrariums will be started today. They will be in larger containers that match and have stainless steel, screw top lids. These will be filled with ferns, sweet woodruff, moss and whatever other treasures I can find. Really looking forward to putting these together - will post pictures when complete.

Next up...nature bauble jewels, driftwood boats and 'fishing rods', and beautiful seashells all sparkly and clean! Stay tuned.