The season of gift-giving is upon us, and this year we have decided to take a different approach to our most-loved holiday. We hope to create many of our gifts with our very own hands, thus giving our friends and family something truly from deep within our hearts. Here is a bit of what is in the works right now…
This past weekend, our family attended the wedding of a dear friend. It is on these special occasions that I am reminded of just how lucky we are to be surrounded by such amazing family and friends. It makes for such a full, rich life of which we are truly blessed.
To honor this very exceptional couple, we decided to create a “Honeymoon Basket” for them to enjoy. My contribution to the basket was a hand-made quilt. I love giving handcrafted gifts because there is so much thought that goes into the making of these items. With each clip of the scissors and each stitch of the fabric, I thought of this fabulous couple and the amazing life they were about to begin.
Now, my hubby’s contribution to the basket was much more exciting. His recent fervor for fermentation has led him to the history behind the fermented beverage of mead, and its connection to the honeymoon. So, he brewed a special batch of mead for the newlyweds, complete with an explanation of its relation to the honeymoon.
“Predating all other forms of concentrated sugars, honey, diluted to honey water, was in all probability one of the first fermented beverages ever concocted by man. With its fermentation came the alcoholic drink we know as mead.
Mead is the beverage of love. The drinking of mead has been held responsible for fertility and the birth of sons. This is where the tradition of the honeymoon got its start. If mead were consumed for one month (one moon) after a wedding, then in nine months a son would be born and the mead maker congratulated. The custom of drinking mead at weddings and for one month after initiated our present-day custom of the honeymoon.” ~Papazian, Charlie. Joy of Home Brewing
All of us mamas need our space now and again. A place where we can just sit, and be still. These times don’t seem to come often, but when they do arise it is so very nice to have a place to call our own.
Last week, my girls and I were completely worn out by the extreme heat, so we decided to spend an afternoon in the basement. Once we were in this nice, cool space for an extended period of time, we realized the place needed a little pick me up. We spent the afternoon organizing, all while Belle (aka Beauty) and her gang sang to us in the background. When we were finished I realized that maybe, just maybe, there was a way I could set up my sewing machine in the basement in a permanent space.
The girls and I got back to work and moved furniture around a bit, which they loved because we discovered lots of lost treasures hidden beneath couch cushions and tables. And we also realized there was, in fact, a bit of space available amongst the chaos for a tiny sewing nook.
I shared this idea with my mother and father-in-law and to my absolute surprise, three days later my father-in-law had built me an absolutely fabulous sewing table! He is one crafty guy I tell you. So I then went rummaging through my parents’ basement, found an old abandoned chair, painted it and now I have a cute little space to call my own.
I can’t wait to start my first project 🙂
I have been getting the itch to sew a bit again, so late last week I decided to make a little something for myself. Since my sewing skills are by no means fabulous, I settled on a Butterick Fast and Easy pattern, B5757 to be exact. The pattern is for a long skirt, but I decided to shorten it up a bit to make it a little more conducive for these scorching days we have been having of late.
As you can see, my little mermaid decided to set up her ironing board and iron a bit with mama and keep me company 🙂 The finished product turned out to be a comfy skirt, perfect for playing in the back yard and hitting up the farmers market.
Making of a Home 