Wind and Rain

Oh my but it is a gloomy Monday! We are having quite the storm here in our neck of the woods. Pouring rain and blustery winds since the start of the weekend. As of yet, we have not quite been washed away, but I have had moments of concern.

What better way to spend a stormy Monday then to unpack some pretties in the new studio? It really is thrilling to be putting my fabric up in it's new home!

Even Tiny Alice is getting into the spirit and fighting off the wicked weather by wearing her most Springy of aprons, getting dressed up for the Grand Opening even though it is still sometime off.

So that's where you'll find me today, unpacking and pottering about in my studio, feeling very grateful indeed to have a room of my own.

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Grab Bag Monday

Oh hello!

Last week we had the most delicious weather! It was very tempting to stay in that sunny spot from my last post and not move an inch. However, my lollygagging ways are over. I am almost back to my abnormal self and there is so much to catch up on, so many things to do! Still trying to get my blogging legs back so forgive if I'm a little rusty. This weekend I started the ball rolling and got to a bit of to-doing.

I had a flash of an idea for making, then upon inspection I realized I'm pants at buying solids and my stash was pretty bare. So you see, I absolutely had to make a trip to my favorite local fabric shop and pick up a few cheery bits.

Then I spied these little darlings and somehow they came home with me, practically leapt into my bag I tell you!
I am hoping my making mojo comes back soon, my trusty sewing machine is gathering dust and looking woefully neglected.

On getting back to routine and feeling lots better, I decided a tiny celebration was in order. So I baked a cake. Not one of them fancy pants layered with impeccable frosting and picture perfect cakes, nope. Rather, one of them everyday cakes that make the house smell divine and one is hard pressed to let it cool before grabbing a slice and gobbling it up while standing over the kitchen sink.

I used This Recipe for an apple cake and it is very, very tasty!

Well my dears, as I said - much to do and I am to it!  Happy Monday!

Art Appreciation

Everyone, I would like you to meet Earl.

Earl is my wonderful new art work from artist Christina Muse. I stumbled across her work on Flickr and was smitten! Also known as Artsy Muse, Christina creates amazing pieces; working in collage, altered art, and assemblage. I love the pieces she finds, and the way she puts her items together tell a story. Her attention to detail and unique perspective have charmed me completely. I knew I had to have one of her pieces in my home.

So, now Earl has come from across the country to stay at the little green cottage. He has moved around a bit, looking for a comfortable and commanding spot. Currently, he seems at home on the "O.K." wall.

I think indulging in a little art now and then is very good for the soul. I know that Earl and I are very happy with the way things have turned out. Thank you for the beautiful addition to my art collection Christina!

If you would like to see more art from Christina Muse, she has been kind enough to allow me to link to her Flickr Photostream HERE

Please know that all of the images on the artists photostream belong to her. Both the artist and myself ask that you be respectful of her images (as well as my images of her artwork) and do not use, copy, or distribute her photos in any way. Thank you for playing nice!

The WhipUp Calendar is Here!

That's right, the 2012 Whip Up calendar is now available! Full of lovely, crafty photos as always and ready to hang in your creative space. I am very honored and excited that Kathreen has chosen one of my photos to be included in the calendar. Hooray!

If you have never been over to visit WhipUp , go now, you are in for a treat! That place is full of inspiration and happy!

The Whip Up Calendar is available as a downloadable file you can print for only $5!
You can get all the info HERE!

While I am on the subject, Kathreen also puts out an incredible kids magazine called Action Pack. I love this magazine, seriously! The latest issue "Sticks and Stones" just came out.

The mag is full of great projects and ideas for kids for only $5! You can buy issue 7 and back issues by going HERE!

Thank you Kathreen for putting out such amazing stuff!

Oh, and Happy Monday!

Hello Monday - Be Mine

Well hello! Last week just slipped away from me. While I did accomplish some of the tasks on my 'To Do' list, some of them have come undone again. Such is the nature of those lists, they are not static, they are self perpetuating things indeed. I did manage to get my sew on, which was grand. I realized that taking a break from the computer did give me more time to tackle other things. It's good to be back though!

I sent Pony Girl off to school this morning with a sack full of cards and lollies, she was beside herself with excitement. I on the other hand, was feeling the love for my cozy bed and was hard pressed to leave it. So, as I was pulling up the covers I whispered a sweet Valentine to it, and made a promise for some quality time together later on.

While I was tending to business last week, it appears my followers have tipped over the 500 count! Oh my goodness, I am flabbergasted! Thank you wonderful readers, what a happy Valentine gift, you have made me blush!

Now, I'm not too big on the whole Valentines Day hubbub but, I do enjoy seeing Pony Girl all whirly with joy about it. A tradition was started a couple of years ago as a special treat for the small one; a little package of goodies, including Valentines Pajamas! This year I out did myself with one pair of jams and a precious nightgown.

Made from the softest Robert Kaufman flannel with McCalls 5744 pattern. It has been a while since I used one of the 'Big 4' patterns and while it was very simple to sew (I don't think I even looked at the instructions) the proportions are slightly wonky. The torso is very wide but, the arms and sleeves are a bit on the snug side. If I were to make it again, I might adjust the pattern with a deeper under-arm and a wider sleeve.

I love the fabric, look at those sweet butterflies. Pony Girl will get her goodies after school today, I'm sure she will come home laden with cards, sweets, and that 1000 mile stare that comes from a really big day of school mayhem.

I wish you all a day filled with love!

Happy Monday - garden dreams

I have always loved garden sheds, outbuildings and structures...they hold a bit of magic and mystery. Here are a few lovelies I found on Flickr.


1. Garden Shed ....., 2. Garden Shed, 3. Blue, 4. Rug Wash Day, 5. Grow 4 It - Beehive Compost Bins, 6. Garden Shed

I will be back soon with some of my own garden moments.

Happy Monday!

Happy Monday - weekend in review

Well, it was quite a weekend! Full of drama, ups and downs...
Of course it all started with the riveting tale of a runaway chicken who was lost and then found. For today I thought I might just give a little re-cap of the peaks and valleys of our weekend here at the little green cottage.

On the DOWN side:
* Raccoons almost eat a chicken or two, chasing off our beloved Suki to parts unknown.

* A reckless wasp flew into my sandal and before reaching his ultimate end, gave one last painful sting to the underside arch of my foot.

* An even more reckless mouse wandered into the basement, presumably looking for meal and a bed, only to find instead The Buddha Cat. Reaching his ultimate end and deposited into a box of cabbage for later discovery by someone intent on making a batch of kimchi.

* Our long suffering sucker fish was discovered belly up (oh my the bodies are piling up 'round here). He spent all his days meticulously scrubbing the inside of the tank, keeping it tidy and neat. I am choosing to take this as a lesson in what being too fussy about housework can get you.

On the UP side:
* Suki was found and returned to the coop with tales to tell to her feathered friends.

* After ages of not sewing a stitch, I took to my studio and free-handed a tres simple pattern for a summer nightie for Pony Girl. It whipped up in no time, easy peasy ready for that nights post bath cuddle. (As luck would have it, when donned by the girl and told to give it a twirl, she cried! This on the DOWN side of things...however, the next day she wanted to wear it out and about as a dress instead, UP side)
* The garden is full of colorful blooms at the moment, making my heart happy.

* The weather has been perfect, sunny and bright with a cool breeze.

* The Engineer and I went to an outdoor concert of The Avett Brothers and had a tremendous time!

* Sunday afternoon was spent in the back yard with family, guitars, good food and dragonflies.

All in all, it turned out pretty swell and it's good to remember...
You gotta get up to get down!

I hope you all had a good weekend.

Next time, I am very excited to share one of my favorite summer time traditions here at the little green cottage!

Time Travel

Home again! Lola and family flew off to the Rockies for an adventure, it was a lovely trip. An old family cabin in the mountains was where we stayed, with the Engineer's extended family taking up residence in cabins close by. We celebrated Independence Day with a large family party and much delicious food. Played many games and explored the dramatic Colorado landscape. There were so many moments of wonder that I might be spreading the tales over the next few days.

For much of the trip I felt as if we had traveled back in time. One of our holiday adventures was a trip down the road to a town full of interesting history, healing springs and once considered a sacred area by the Cheyenne and Ute tribes. Of course it is now home to a collection of tourist shops, and they also have an amazing attraction, an old time Penny Arcade!

Let the Amusements begin!

Game On!

Oh dear, I'm seeing pink elephants, I probably should not have stopped here...
Wild Horses in the Wild West.
Hoops

The doctor is in...
And no arcade would be complete without the irresistible Photo booth


For a cool slideshow of all the arcade photos just click here!

Well, that was a heap of fun! I will return with tall tales from the Wild West...outlaws, saloon girls and gold mines OH MY!

Happy Monday!

Hello Monday Delicious

Delicious, fresh from the oven, triple berry muffins!
So good, so very good.

Recipe:
adapted from The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum

4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter softened
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
3/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon plus a pinch of salt
1/3 cup sour cream
1 cup of berries (you can use fresh if you have them. I use a frozen berry mix of raspberries, blackberries and blueberries slightly thawed)

Line a 6 muffin, muffin tin with paper or foil liners.

Preheat the oven to 375 F. (190 C) with oven shelf at the middle level.

In a large bowl, with a wooden spoon, cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Spoon half of the flour mixture and half of the sour cream onto the butter/sugar mixture and, using a rubber spatula, fold in until most of the flour disappears. Repeat with the remaining flour and sour cream, folding in just until the flour disappears. Gently fold in the berries.

Fill the muffin cups by spooning in batter almost to the top. Dust the tops with a little sugar.

Bake the muffins for 25 - 35 minutes or until the muffins spring back when pressed lightly in the center with your finger tip and a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Unmold the muffins from the tin and turn right side up on a wire cooling rack until you can't stand it anymore and eat! Makes about 6 muffins. you can double the recipe very easily for 12 muffins.

A metric conversion can be found here

Happy Monday!

Greening Monday

I'm thinking green today as I head out to the garden. There is much work to do. New lettuces to plant, weeds to pull, a chicken coop to clean and squirmies to find. So, whilst I toil away in the yard, I leave you with a mosaic of green from my flickr faves.

I shall be back soon to tell you of my weekend adventure!
Happy Monday!


1. new 'love life' cushion..., 2. Swedish "slagbaenk", 3. Vintage cupboard, 4. Vintage window, 5. washing, 6. Parasol, 7. take only pictures. leave only footprints. kill nothing but time., 8. in and out - the shepherd's hut, 9. Untitled

Give Away Monday!

To celebrate...

YOU!
I have one copy of this book to give away as an appreciation for all your commenting, visiting, sharing, and friendly goodness!

While I intend to keep this pretty simple, no tricky rules like tweeting, or following to get extra entries or the like. No, nothing of that sort but, what I would ask of you is this; please leave a comment on this post with a little tidbit of information about yourself. I'm not looking for a standard "Hello, my name is..." kind of thing. Nope. I want to know what music you have been listening to lately. Is there a song or a band that has you dancing, humming, dreaming or just making you happy? Tell me about it!

Commenting will be open until Saturday May 29th, after which I will devise some random picking method to draw a winner. I will announce the winner on Monday, May 31st. I will ship anywhere.

Happy Monday all!

Blue (and orange) Monday

You may or may not recall that I'm attempting a lounge re-do. On a very small scale of course. It took many more coats of paint than I anticipated, even with the priming but, we now have ever so slightly off white walls. The color is called 'Twinkle Twinkle'... how could I resist when it is the song I have sung to Pony Girl nearly every night for the past two years? An eco-friendly paint was used of course.
And now with the walls a blank and neutral canvas, I can dream of what colors I would like to add to the room. Lately I have been inspired by orange and blue, those two complimentary colors have been making me feel happy and lively. So after flipping through flickr, I have found some very happy inspiration that I thought I would share with you!


1. flower by harald guggenbichler, 2. Ditzy Floral Organic Cotton, 3. Untitled, 4. thrifty finds..., 5. O R A N G E, 6. orange, 7. ♥ Nähmaschine, 8. collections, 9. Orange ribbon

Primed Monday

During the weekends I try to stay away from the computer, I really do. Spending time with family, catching up on household 'to dos' and generally getting out and about. Last week was a long one, fraught with appointments and Florence Nightingale duties - by Friday's end I had hit a small but rather sturdy wall. So, leaving the mangled Mr. to read a bed time story to princess spider monkey, I tried to put together a reasonably fashionable ensemble and headed out into the world at large. I went to visit a friend of mine at her wonderful restaurant. Upon seeing the dazed look in my eyes and the carpet bags underneath them, she handed me one of her large, delicious and definitely dangerous 'Sangria de Fonda Rosa'! And then when that was gone, she handed me another.

Come Saturday morning, upon waking I discovered that the small but sturdy wall had fallen on top of me and I was unable to get up. As I lay there thinking about the 5 loads of laundry, the sink full of dishes, the sweeping, general cleaning, 4 pincushions that need to made for a swap and the unfinished dress that were all awaiting me, I took the deepest breath I was able considering a small, sturdy and surprisingly heavy wall was on top of me, and pulled the covers over my head.

The rest of the day was spent in my pajamas doing as little as possible. Someone else was going to have to feed the chickens, fish, cat and two frogs. Someone else was going to have to make the bed, do the dishes, sweep the floors, clean the bathroom, make the pincushions. Oh, wait...there isn't anyone else. Well, I am pretty sure the animals got fed but, everything else was left just as it was, the chaos gathering momentum by the minute. And still, I sat.

The Engineer left at 6pm for an overnight trip and I managed to get Pony Girl bathed and into bed, though not asleep. At 9pm after hearing the menacing sounds of a room being torn apart, I decided against poking my head in to assess the damage since I was just beginning to wiggle out from under the wall. Suddenly, I was free and I got up off the couch with a startling determination. I needed to get to it, so much to be done!

So, I moved the furniture, got out my Spackle knife, armed myself with brush and roller and set about painting the entire living room with primer. All whilst still in my pajamas.



Well, I'm off to tackle the now 6 loads of laundry and whatever else I can manage to cram into a Monday. I hope that you all had a restful weekend!

Thankful Monday

by My colour blue

I am overwhelmed and deeply humbled by all the kind comments left on my last post. You are all so lovely and the Engineer and I thank you so much for the well wishing. It has touched our hearts.

Many thanks too, go to our friends and family who have been generous and wonderful, bringing over dinners of great deliciousness, flowers and kind support.

We are doing well...if suffering from a bit of household chaos but, that shall sort itself out soon enough. The surgery has been delayed and will possibly take place later this week. Then it is just a matter of time before we know what the long term will bring. We are quite grateful that it was not a worse injury. The Engineer has maintained good spirits, possibly in part due to some pain erasing medication but, also because of his positive temperament.

I leave you today with some flickr images that have caught my attention. Something simple, hopeful and lovely.

by wood and wool stool

by precious pixel


by Finistère Lointain

Thank you again for all your kindness. I'll be back soon!

Hello Monday

March came in like a lamb and seems to be going out a lion, reversing the usual order of things. "It's raining hammers, it's raining nails..." and I am busying myself with the Monday chores.

Today I thought I would share a couple of my flickr favorites to tickle you pink.

by jasna janekovic


by dottie angel

by smile and wave


Oh and by the way, since the bunnies and chicks and eggs are on their way, I thought I would mention my Fabric Eggs pattern and tutorial. It can also be found on the right sidebar under the Make it Yourself section. There is still time to whip up a couple of these little treats.



I shall return soon with tales of stitchery.

Ready, Set, Go!

Happy New Year all!
I'm hitting the ground running in 2010, or at least I'm trying. It's going to be a big year, I can feel it. There is work to be done, decisions to make and a whole lot of possibility in the air.

Over the holiday I had myself a few thinks - and the thinks I thought, have started me thinking. Did you catch that? I will be sharing some of my thoughts from the stew pot of my mind in future posts. For now, I'm hoping to find a little focus and balance, get myself ready for things to come.

Lola has plans, nothing huge...just some bits and pieces. I will be doing more tutorials this year (fingers crossed), getting the much neglected shop ship shape (hope springs eternal), and learning some new tricks (I think I can, I think I can...).

I look forward to this coming year with all of you lovelies and I hope that 2010 brings you all the best!

Now jump in!

Fall Collection

A few views of the fall collection.






I will be back tomorrow with some words and whatnot. Happy Monday!!