mama made something else

You know I mentioned the doll--the one mama-made gift--I was planning to make Cora for Christmas...well, it still hasn't happened, but I did sew something to go with the gift Santa brought her. This drawstring bag is my contribution. But wait. What's inside?

Blocks! I think I love these more than she does at this point. They're Uncle Goose lowercase wood blocks. I do love lowercase, and the font is pretty similar to my favorite, trebuchet. And since it's the lowercase set, they have baby animals on one side. They also have 'foreign abc blocks' like Chinese, French and Arabic.

The doll is still sitting in pieces waiting to be stitched up. Maybe it'll be a New Year's gift!

Happy New Year!

cora's first

her Christmas dress, the same pattern as her tiny newborn dress.

I love this wrap style because I think it will work next year as a top layered over a long sleeved t-shirt.

Cora with Meemaw, my grandmother.

Of course, the shoes didn't stay on long.:) Well, I'm glad I finished the dress up in time, but her mama-made gift (a dolly) still needs to be sewn. Hopefully, E will be home early today and I can get it together. If not, she'll never know that she got her first Christmas present a little late, will she? Shhh.

Merry Christmas! Have a weekend filled with joy and peace!

5 months in photos

We just had a bunch of prints made--photos of Cora from July to present. If you're interested in some cuteness, here's the link. And yes, she crawling!

reading material

As much as I enjoy discovering a new-to-me blog to read, I truly love reading material that I can put my hands on, carry from room to room, and fall asleep reading. I'm always searching for good reading to get from the library in the form of novels, but not too long ago, I thought to check my library's catalog for all the new crafty books I had been eyeing on amazon. I was surprised to find that many of the titles were available, so I requested them through the library's website and, when they were available, I checked them out.


I was delighted to find that the patterns were still taped inside Weekend Sewing! This book is gorgeous, and I love the fabrics chosen for all the projects. So far I've made a pair of pajama pants and this makeup bag. I'm not crazy about the way the bag is constructed (exposed seams inside), but I love the shape, and it's definitely time to replace the clinique gift-with-purchase bag!


I was also able to borrow Stitched in Time, Handmade Home and The Creative Family. And waiting at the library for me now is Sewing Green. I'm so happy that I've been able to enjoy these books without having to purchase them!

On one of my first OB visits last fall, I picked up a copy of Wondertime in my doctor's waiting room. I fell in love with the magazine and its style, but tried to subscribe and realized it was no longer being published. None of the other parenting magazines really fit what I was looking for until I found kiwi. Have you seen it? It's fairly new (I think) and focuses on natural living and parenting. I also have an online subscription to mothering (thank you, Tiffany!) which is in line with my approach to parenting.

And I have found some great reading in the form of blogs lately, too. And, although I can't read them in bed, I do take the inspiration I find with me each night, and even wake up sometimes thinking of my next crafty project. New favorites are: matsutake: she is so funny and has lots of ingenuity! This post really had E and me laughing. so you think you're crafty: I love the dance show, so of course this weekly elimination competition is right up my alley. And some girls wander by mistake: makes me want my own signature style!

from santa

Remember how I was saying I might finally get a new sewing machine? Well, I didn't even have to wait till Christmas!


I knew I wanted a Janome, and I decided on the DC 2010. It's really similar to Julie's 7330, but it has a few more different stitches and it matches my sewing room! It's been an easy switch, and I'm really enjoying it so far. I'll be back to show off a few projects soon!

christmas gifts

We got out of school early this year. That means, as of today, I'm off for 5 weeks! But even more exciting, Cora is finished with daycare! We've come up with some new arrangements for next semester, and I think we'll all be happier. So today I delivered these Christmas gifts to her caregivers and my co-workers.


These were really economical to make in bulk, and all the supplies and ingredients worked out perfectly to make a dozen, so there aren't a bunch of leftovers from this project.


Here's what I used (based on a few recipes I found online and a bit of taste-testing):
4 c dry milk
1.5 c sugar
1 c cocoa
1 c creamer
.5 c ovaltine
Mix and divide into 12 portions. I used 8 oz mason jars and filled them about 3/4 full. Add chocolate chips and mini marshmallows to top. The labels are from paper source. I love chartreuse!