At some point today - before my head hits the pillow tonight, these items will roll into the shop if you'd like to take a peek...

Until then... there is a buttermilk spice cake to be made, a delivery to take place, a yoga mat to get cozy with, a friend to visit, and a holiday movie marathon to begin... first up, Miracle on 34th Street.  But yes, these will find there way over to Etsy at some point today.  Have a  wonderful weekend!

Jessie tagged me for 5 random things - I may have done this before so I apologize if I repeat myself.

1. I've never met a Mollie Katzen recipe I didn't like. The above photo  is Cranberry Brown Bread from  The Enchanted Broccoli Forrest.

2. My dream is to live in Vermont on property that either borders or is within a few miles to the Long Trail/ Appalachian Trail section - I'd run a hiker hostel, a place where fellow hikers could stop off the trail for a night or two and regroup/ do laundry/ restock supplies. I'd offer yoga and serve whole food meals.

3. As much as I love Vermont, the most incredible wilderness I've ever explored has been the Adirondacks.

4. I climbed Mt. Washington when I was 17 with two friends-no adults. I'll never forget it.

5. My father spoke French before he spoke English. When he was six years old and on the playground at school (an English speaking school), another child got hurt - he went running to the teacher to alert her and get help - but he blurted everything out in French and she couldn't understand him. From that point on Memere (his mother) felt it was important for English to be the primary language spoken at home. I think that was probably typical for a lot of families trying to make a life in an English speaking community, their native language came second. Most of my father's family (especially the older generation) still speak French when they are together though. Emily thinks it's cool, so do I.

Care to join? Go ahead, but make sure you let me know!

Would you like to take a peek at my grandmother's sewing table that now lives in my sewing room? My aunt passed this down to me on Thanksgiving day. I don't recall Mema being much of a sewer, but like many women of her generation - she sewed out of necessity. My mom might know more about specific pieces that came forth from this machine... probably some of her own clothes as my mother sewed (and designed) much of her own clothing in high school. I imagine some of that work was done here... thoughts Mom? But Mema, she would have used this space for functional reasons, an elastic or zipper replaced. A child's seam let down to add a little extra life to a dress. And certainly,  most certainly, this was the place where every button was removed and saved from each article of clothing that had been deemed old, tattered and no longer of use.

Mema's sewing things are still inside.

Of course there are buttons in an old prescription bottle... but electric scissors? That was unexpected - maybe it was a green stamps reward, seems like the sort of thing that would come from there. Does anyone remember going to the green stamps store? I have a memory of going with my mom, she was armed with her book full of stamps... I so wanted the easy bake oven but mom needed to get something really boring like an iron or coffee pot instead. Electric scissors could have come from there, definitely.

Thanks for peeking, I really feel that I can't capture with words what this table and opening it's drawers for the first time means to me. But I think you all get it, that you all might feel the same way. That words aren't really necessary, and perhaps the right words don't even exist.

Now... I must run along and get back to work, Mema's apron strings are tied (given to me by my other aunt), and holiday lists and gifts are waiting to be made. I would give anything to have the kind of energy Mema had and her ability to accomplish countless tasks in a day - you know, like have the beds made, two loads of laundry on the line, breakfast dishes washed and dried, a friendly hello to a neighbor, shopping lists made, all before 8am. That was Mema. I'm hoping this apron holds some of that good, tireless, grandmother energy... that would be so helpful.                                                         

Good afternoon! I hope everyone had a happy and healthy holiday. We had a wonderful bellies filled to the brim time at my aunt's house. And guess what? She gave me my grandmother's sewing table. I need to say it again... she gave me my grandmother's sewing table... with her sewing *things* still in it.  I need to do some rearranging to put it in it's proper place and then I'll share with you all. I can't wait!

I've been a busy little crafter myself these last 48 hours. You know, the kind of busy that puts you to bed at 2am and back up at 6am... these photos show what came of it. I'm so thrilled to be putting these things in the shop (I'm heading over to load them just after I post this), hopefully they are the perfect match for  someone special on your shopping list.  I'm most excited about  the doll quilt sets  -  this  idea has been in the making for quite sometime now.  And they came out just as I had imagined, which is so very nice.

The inspiration came from the bed that you see in the photos. There are two actually, and they are bunk beds... they were mine when I was a little girl and now they are Emily's. I loved and played for hours with them, now Emily does the same. I do hope you and your little ones love the quilts sets that came forth because of this childhood treasure of mine.

There are also some new earrings in the shop... I am busily working away on some bibs that I look forward to sharing -  but just couldn't  have them ready in time for this little update. Very soon though, maybe before the weekend is up. Thank you so much for peeking at this update - Happy Holidays!

I'm off to load the shop now - should all be up within 30 minutes.

A teeny tiny sneak peek at some new things I've been working on for holiday shop updates. I've popped one over there for now, more to follow next week. Hope you like it! I am ready to not make as many bags for a little while. I don't know about you all, but I have been swept away with the brilliant ideas that have been shared daily over at Sew Mama Sew, holy moly their seams are bursting with goodness! I've started a new folder on my computer for craft tutorials because of their month long daily posting of handmade gift ideas, with instructions! And not only are they posting daily, they are posting several ideas each day. There aren't enough hours in the day, and the bigger problem is that now I have also learned of many more must read blogs out there... ugh... so little time...is it wrong to curl up in bed with your laptop instead of a book?

Traditions are rich and beautiful and everlasting. I always think we could embrace more of them as a family, I fear we aren't doing enough. Many holidays come and go with the best intentions set forth but alas, I blink and it is February and we have not made the gingerbread men, the hand dipped candles for gift giving or the handmade wreath for the front door. But when I stop and think about all that we do make the time for, the traditions that have become so without any planning or intention, I realize those are the moments we will remember and look forward to each year. It's the simplicity in our familiar holiday rhythm that we'll remember. Without organizing or scheduling, a wreath does appear on our front door each year, it is made by the hands of another - and we enjoy going down to the local garden shop and picking out just the right one. Cookies are always made, and far too many at that! Spontaneous recipes are tried and plates of goodies are delivered to neighbors. Christmas Eve always ends with a stroll through the neighborhood to look at the beautiful lights, hot cider in hand, hot buttered rum for the adults. There are always ham sandwiches on rye and homemade soup for dinner on Christmas Eve, for no reason other than my husband has been having ham sandwiches on Christmas Eve every year since he was a little boy. We never decorate the Christmas tree without hot cocoa stirred with a candy cane, nor do we miss a Thanksgiving without creating our thankful tree. The design has evolved over the last few years but the idea is the same. The tree is set up a couple weeks before Thanksgiving, a basket of leaves and a pen is set beside the barren tree. Slowly the tree fills as the days pass and family members and visitors leave little messages of gratitude on the leaves then hang them on the tree. The tree is full and beautiful by the time Thanksgiving arrives. Children love this tradition, pictures can be drawn by little ones who are not writing yet. This year Emily decided we should call it The Love and Gratitude Tree. Traditions evolve, but they are there - rich, and beautiful, and everlasting.

You are the rock and I am the wind. You are the one that takes care of business, day after day without complaint. I am the one that drinks tea, daydreams about Tibet, sees yoga in everything, and gets to spend my days taking care of our girl. You are the one who reminds me not to lose sight of those things, of who I am, they are the very reasons you love me. You are the one who is at home in nature more than anyone I know. You are the one that always has answers to Emily's questions, and they are correct answers. You are solid, dedicated, and wildly supportive. I am very grateful my love, let the journey continue.

Happy Anniversary.

You may not have guessed this about us, Halloween for our family is a big deal.

When I met Adam fifteen years ago, one thing was made perfectly clear. Halloween is the most important holiday to him. It will involve lots of fake blood (did you know you can buy it by the quart now), the goal of the evening is to scare people and not feel badly about it, and there may or may not be animal organs involved on any given year (real, from the butcher). Finally, each year needs to improve on the last. I say the character he takes on trumps any makeshift graveyard or bucket of blood that we come up with, every time.

There are definitely many young children who stay at the end of the walk, close to the road. I always feel like Morticia Addams, playing the nice hostess while ignoring the creepiness all around her. You know, like the man sitting in the chair with the ax dripping in blood as he asks if anyone has seen his kitty...

Coming here on Halloween is not for the faint of heart. Every year I suggest maybe he's going a little too far, every year he says, "It's Halloween, it has to be scary!" And so it goes, it's his one day to live in his own self created horror movie. Here is this years review in pictures from our haunted home, none of them are too bloody and are probably safe for children, your call.

Do you like my contribution, Lotus Pose Skeleton? Adam did not think it was cute...

The Master of ceremonies.

There is no way to make this dog look scary, we didn't even bother trying. Thanks for visiting, come again next year!