Happy and Free Clothing: Shoot 1

I am so excited! After weeks of hard work the first photo shoot was this past Sunday. Jason started work again on Monday so he hasn't edited them yet. But I wanted to show a few of them off anyway. More shirts are in production now for another shoot next week.

Informerly introducing:
The "I Am" line. Messages read in the mirror, a hug for yourself and a reminder of your value. Encouraging, inspiring, provoking thought and above all loving yourself!

"I Am, Strong, Graceful,Lovely, Powerful, Funny, Peaceful, Relevant, Capable, Honest, Wonderful, Possible, Inspiring, Authentic, Whole, Valuable, I Am Me"

"Creativity is Endless, Inspiration Boundless, And Love Infinite, How do I choose to use them today?"

Corner View- Lonely Together

Corner View is a weekly appointment – each Wednesday – created by Jane and currently curated by Francesca, where bloggers from all corners of the world share their view on a pre-arranged theme. If you’d like to join in, please leave a link to your Corner View post in the comments at www.fuoriborgo.com, and be sure to visit other participants too.

This week is lonely together. It only took a few moments to decide what to photograph. Three weeks ago we planted paperwhites in mason jars, with glass pebbles instead of dirt. Eliana keeps excitedly telling them "Grow. Grow. Little flowers!" They have come to have a bit of personality. So there they sit by the cold window on the winter nature table. Flowers meant for warmth, sunshine, and rich deep dirt. Separated by glass jars and space instead of nestled together. They seem so out of place, lonely for spring and earth, captive, and lonely together.

Dear readers, Do you have plants that seem to take on personality that you fuss over?

2012 Will Be Happy and Free!

Hello dear reader! How are you? How is your end of the year shaping up?

I know all everyone wants to do right now is to be joyful. I am joyful. But I am also deeply sad. No one can tell what will happen with Dad's Leukemias. And I can't yet look forward to Eliana's 3rd Birthday because it will be the 1 year anniversary of my Mom's death due to breast cancer. When this new year turns over it will usher in the first year in which in all my 34 years I have not seen or spoken with my mom. And yet I am eager to leave this year of mostly misery but also some profound joys behind. I am looking forward to next year. It will also mean a realization of a dream.

In 2012 I launch Happy and Free Clothing. This line has taken a bit of a swing from what I started out planning. It has now become about rich phrases and images that strengthen, inspire, uplift and encourage me. And I hope that it does the same for you. I hope you find my shirts remind you of who you are, and that you are whole, valuable, and valued.

It is so bittersweet. It will be a moment I would have loved to share with Mom, who grew her business up thread by thread, she would have understood completely my hope, joy, creative sparks, and fears. In her absence, I pour my heart into this blog (for you my readers, and for myself) and into my creations. May we grow, heal, stretch, and become more open, loving, and stronger together.

I thank you dear reader, for your presence. And I really would like to know how you are doing? Do you have special hopes and plans for 2012?

GIVEAWAY!

WINNERS!
Please contact me with your mailing address. I am mailing in the morning and Monday. I am also sending you an email. Congratulations! Winners selected by Random.org

217Natural Violet said...Great giveaway. I have a three year old also and it is so wonderful to see how excited he is this year about celebrating. We plan to read Tractor Mac Saves Christmas on Christmas eve.

101,mtnquiltr said... We love our Christmas stockings and spend loads of time finding small and clever (we hope) gifts to include. They are not large, but so much fun!
December 12, 2011 10:50 PM

65,Marguerite said.....Lovely fabric :) I don't know how well this would work for other people, but... my father was brought up Lutheran, and I speak German, so each Christmas my mother and sister go to the kids' service at our usual church and my father and I go to the German-language service at the local Lutheran church. It's my favorite holiday tradition! dangandblast@gmail.com
December 12, 2011 3:58 PM

107hueisei said...Decorating Christmas tree and wrapping presents.
Thx for the chance to win ^^v
December 13, 2011 1:01 AM








WOW! I just want to say I am blown away by the amazing comments here! I treasure each one of you for sharing your family traditions. This is so special to me as we reinvent our Holiday season, and grow as a young family (our daughter is almost 3, but we have been married 12 years). I wish all of you a wonderful end of the year full of much love, peace, time for reflection, and joy.

It is also an honor to get to hear from so many people I have never met before (most all of you). This has made the blogosphere feel like a tangible community. I am enjoying discovering new blogs to follow and new pinterest and facebook friends. I would be honored if some of you felt the same towards my humble blog.

Oh! And GOOD LUCK! I know I am excited about the contests I have entered today.




Sew, Mama, Sew! is having their Giveaway Day again! After you enter here please click on that link and enter some more while you read other fantastic blogs! Giveaway open until December 16 at 5 p.m. PST. I will Email the winners by December 18, and note the winners in this giveaway post. I will ship the items by December 24. I will ship internationally!

With the upcoming launch of my Happy and Free Clothing company on 1 January 2012 I have been in a flurry of creativity. I kept that in mind as I scoured my overflowing craft shelves for items that I knew would delight others with their own unique creative spark. I enjoy all kinds of arts and crafts and so I have drawn from 4 of my favorites.

On 16 December I will randomly select 4 winners! What do you do to enter? Readers of my blog know that we have been trying to decide what Holiday traditions to include with our family. For us that involves Christmas, Nativity, Advent, St Nicholas Day, and Winter Solstice. I would love to hear what traditions your family especially enjoys at Holiday time. Please leave me a comment telling me about it. Be sure to include your email address so that I can reach you. That's it! You will be entered! No hoops, no posting on fb or twitter, although you are welcome to if you wish.

#1 SEWING: Dogs Bathing Pink flannel, 44" wide x 27"; Orange polar fleece 10.5" x 1.75 yd; Turquoise polar fleece 60" x 1 yd and McCalls M6194 in size CB 1-2-3.

#2 KNITTING/CROCHETING: 220 yards of Knit Picks worsted weight 4, Bare 100% Peruvian Highland Wool; 129 yards Yarn Bee Melody Bulky weight 5, Vitner 70% Wool/30% Acrylic. The color on the Vitner does not show up well. It is a gorgeous blend of rust brown, evergreen, wine purple, and flaxen cream. I am currently working a scarf in this and it is just lovely in the hand despite the 30% Acrylic.

#3 QUILTING: Moda 302050 JR Jelly Roll, basic grey max & whiskers. Just adorable! Features a goldfish in a bowl, and a bouncy kitten and puppy.

#4 DOLLMAKING: Wee Wonderfuls: 24 Dolls to Sew and Love by Hillary Lang. Cuddly and charming creations. Book comes complete with patterns to print.

St Nicholas, Advent, Nativity,

I have been very confused lately. It is my first year, despite being a life long church goer and Christian, to celebrate Advent, have Advent candles and wreath, birth of Jesus, to learn about Saints, to have a Nativity, to do Waldorf.... and try to make sense of it all with limited time and money! I have been googling of course and immersing myself in some very wonderfully creative and informative websites. Here are some of them as well as my loosely made plan for the coming week with Eliana concerning the St. Nicholas, Santa, Jesus dillema.

Rainy day fun!

Today was a very rainy day, it still is! Too rainy to even go out driving so we stayed in.

Friday Nature Table

The first of Jason's Art Clothing line is up!

Soon to follow is our children's line of fun kids themes, as well as Art T's from other collections! Need hints? Think of trains, fireman's boots, ponies, salmon, airplanes, and frogs as you have never seen before!

Corner View

This weeks corner view is Joy.

Here are photos of what has brought me joy this week. Two scarves newly completed, my second and third ever! Daddy time at the Library. The Christmas lights turned on at the Park. One of the images of the lights taken by Eliana. It has been a lovely week full of joy. A wonderful breather!

Knitting Life Lessons or Scarves Give Wisdom

Apparently knitting has much to offer me. I finished my first scarf yesterday. Green acrylic size 15, 12 stitches of stockinette, 54" long. It is, as my husband describes it, a snake! I was not aware that stockinette curls. And now I have a present for Granny that I do not want to give. I did learn to bind off and became proficient at purling in the process. This was also the first knitting project I have ever completed. I have many starting swatched but I have always discarded them out of boredom.

In the middle, and often even the beginning of a project, I curse myself to fail.

Vulnerability relies on peace in choices and eliminting perfectionism.

I read two posts and a quote yesterday that really set me to thinking. Set me to seeking truth down a slightly different path than usual. Actually, they came to me when I needed them most. They were about perfectionism, vulnerability, and peace in choices. I have been examining myself and dragging much into the light so it can be healed. I might have gone on with these things hiding in m heart and mind except for a little miracle we named Eliana. She is the reason Jason and I are ripping ourselves open and learning different, more peaceful, conscious and loving ways of talking, thinking, acting, and feeling and thus parenting.

Perfectionism is a goal of our culture. I have always admired perfectionism. My mother was a perfectionist and anything less than was frustrating to her. It drove her to become a successful seamstress. It also drove her into constant anxiety and inability to relax and deminished ability to connect with others. It undermined her already fragile sense of self-worth. Perfection was demanded of her and her environment as a child. My grandmother resorted to controlling and obsessive cleanliness and punishments for anything less. Grandmother was trying to make sense of her world and be okay, to have a shield to hide behind, to be safe.

Corner View- where has the time gone?

Corner View ~ where has the time gone?

Corner View is a weekly appointment - each Wednesday - created by Jane, where bloggers from all corners of the world share their view on a pre-arranged theme. I started via one of my favorite blogs, FuoriBorgo

You know how the time flies
Only yesterday was the time of our lives
We were born and raised in a summer haze
Bound by the surprise of our glory days
(Adele, Someone Like You)

Reading, Rain, and Storytime

Yesterday the rain let up for long enough that an enthusiastic E was out jumping in puddles and catching raindrops on her tongue. We talked about the way the rain moved, the way it looked on each leaf, how some leaves seemed to repel the water, we floated leaves down the little streams in the drive.

Santa, Snow, Gravel Angels,

Eliana has been very taken with snow lately. At the park today she made snowmen out of gravel, and snow angels with her friend. She asked me this morning "Mamma, can Santa come play today?" and last night it was "I want Santa to bring my Daddy home!" (J was working nights).

Skate Park Play, Scissors, and Shapes

Today we met friends on a Minot windy day. I was envisioning ski sailing across North Dakota. Yikes! We rolled cars down the hills, rolled down the grassy hills, and slid, alot. Seven children having a wonderful time, as well as three happy moms.

Hold your breath for this video! No one was harmed today, just many holes in clothes and undies.

Knitting Progress

My little 19 stitch scarf is coming along! I am maybe 1/3rd or a 1/4th of the way finished. I timed it last night... I probably shouldn't have... 2 minutes per 19 stitches. Ahem. At least I am getting somewhere! This photo was taken at about 11pm last night and represents 2.5 hours of knitting. I am still in love!

Photograhy

I am excited to say that my husband is now doing photography. I have just loved his work, as much as his art. We had a photo shoot last week and here are two images. One is the model wearing one of J's new art T-shirts that are soon to be up on his website for sale.

Primal Pancakes! errr Primal French Toast!

Made a recipe I found online somewhere and scribbled down, can't find site anymore, if anyone recognizes it please let me know. I made many changes and love the results, as does an enthusiastic bedheaded, blueberry mouthed E! We had a great time talking about egg yolks vs. whites, and she loved handling the yolks to drop them in the cup for later.

This Moment: A Friday Ritual (two days late this week)

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.
- adopted from SouleMama

Friday Nature Table View

Our table changes and grows as we take more walks and explore more nooks of the earth. Each Friday I will take a photo to show the growth and changes. Today we dipped our leaves in beeswax that I melted in a mini crockpot and then we tied them onto our tree with thread. The whole kitchen smelled of heavenly honey. A delightful process with delightful results! The leftover beeswax still sits in the crock for melting again.

Creating A Rhythm

"...Rhythm is the daily, weekly and yearly recurring activities in our lives. There is something so magical about such a simple concept. Children thrive on familiarity and consistency. It is a sense of security for them, they feel safe and reassured to always know what comes next, to have a predictable day, a rhythm they can count on... Is rhythm just a fancy word for schedule. NO. While they have similarities, rhythm is more about a gentle flow, a knowing of what comes next, whereas a schedule is more rigid and by the clock..." Quote from an article by Nicole from Frontier Dreams over at The Magic Onion

Story Time and Friends

This past Tuesday we went to Library Storytime, and then on to the park with friends. My friend J has a lovely new blog and this entry chronicles our play.

Writing baby H's name in the mud.

Primal Bread! Very good!

Disc Golf and Waxwings

This week we have been talking about autumn, especially about birds, birdfeeding and identification, and tree identification. We have been doing lots of leaf gathering which we are going to dip in beeswax to preserve and decorate with. Spent a lovely day at Stuart Nelson Park and the Greenway Trail. It was a bit chilly and very windy and I forgot E's hat but luckily I had a bandanna, turning her into my li'l babushka.