7::365 Day 3 - sweet release

Aside from that one little time I had to reverse and start again up that hill at a speed I would rather not mention - the ride outta dodge was pretty smooth.

Might have helped that I was riding on the heals of the sanding truck too.

Sledding and swimming in the same day? Yessah.

Good weather and even better company. A mighty fine Maine day.

Day 2:: Holed up in the Hollow 6::365

Ahhh, sweet surrender.
Or, depending upon your perspective,
another word might be:

stranded.
 
Or something like that.

Although it seems more fitting with this definition:
strand: the land bordering a body of water

Day 2 holed up with a hill from h&*%.

Have I mentioned  that I didn't learn to drive til I was 30.

So, I may not be the best driver in the snow.

Well, not yet at least.

It's really not so bad though - not with these cute mugs to look at all day and a little paint to brighten things up.

And tomorrow?
That hill is mine.
Seriously.

 

In the deep 5::365

Hollow:
a small, sheltered valley

That definition was taken from the web ~ yes, a sheltered valley is most definitely what we have here. Hills and mountains surround, water yards away, tall pines. We are sheltered.

And sometimes just plain stuck.

Getting up these hills, did I mention there are 3? Well, getting up even one of them on  a wet snow day like we had today? Hah, good luck there with that.

We tried though - oh we did try. Got halfway up the first hill - and were stuck.

That's okay. Tomorrow is a new day.

And our plow guy ? He is our neighbor. He needs to use these roads too. That's a promising fact in itself.

Sending off ~

2 Boxes of fabric fabulousness!

One to lovely Liza (I'll just hand that one to you gal ;) and the other to sweet Jayna :)

Thank You ladies for your loving hearts and crafty fingers - may the fabric bless you and those who benefit from its beautiful  bounty! The world is a little brighter...

Peaceful tidings this Martin Luther King day friends....

xo

A Give Away! 4::365

Taking a cue from the Yarn Harlot, and thinking of the bids I received here and the many emails I got from folks who wanted to play along but, were tapped out of funds at a certain point: I thought a giveaway for a donation of any amount your wallet can muster would be fine way to go:

So - here goes:

Since the Yarn Harlot is doing such a rocking job with Doctors Without Borders, I thought we could do a little more for a wonderful, smaller organization:

Lambi Fund

Here is the drill ~ head on over to Lambi, make a donation of whatever feels right for you ~ email me at writeus4@yahoo.com or leave a comment here with the donation amount so we can keep tally and see how much good we are doing by pooling our resources TOGETHER - it's amazing thing, really.

As soon as I get your info, I'll enter you into the drawing for a FRB (flat rate box) busting full of yummy fabric. Some of what you saw yesterday and some from my special stash.

Drawing ends tomorrow at 8pm EST, girls - good luck!

Love 3::365

Goodness, you ladies just rock ~ Thank YOU so much ~

Drum roll please?

Winners are:

1. Denise Semanchin, Girls Just Want to Have Fun (Yele.org), with a bid of $50 ~ Thank YOU!
2. Vicki Carver, For the Boys (Doctors Without Borders), with a bid of $30 ~ Thank YOU!
3. Valerie, AB Beauties (Lambi Fund), with a bid of $20 ~ Thank YOU!
4. Apple Wrangler, Dewberry Dreams (Hearts With Haiti), with a bid of $25 ~ Thank YOU!
5. NYCvia PDX, Dynamic Duo (Lambi Fund)with a bid of $40 ~ Thank YOU!
6. TiziB, Kid Krazy! (Hearts With Haiti) With a bid of $75 ~ Thank YOU!

As our highest bidder, Tizi will have her flat rate envelope of yummy goodness magically transformed into a flat rate BOX of fabric love - thank you Tizi!

The winner of our drawing for a little bundle of fabric sweetness is ~
Jennifer Hogan LaFountaine!
Congrats Lady!

All winners, please shoot me an email at writeus4@yahoo.com and I can send you my address ~ please make checks or money orders out the organization next to your winning package :) As soon as I receive your donation, I will send out your goodies!

Together we raised $245 for these fabulous organizations - you ROCK!

Thank you ALL so much for your time, your generosity and your love.

Just beautiful.

*Something* 2::365

Times like this, when our hearts feel like they can't take another glimpse of pain,  when we may be about to turn away because we want to do something but, are overwhelmed by what that something is....Times like this seem a good starting point to begin right inside our own 4 walls...

Thank you Mika for the inspiration ~

So! Here We Go!

6 Packages:: Flate Rate Envelopes of designer cottons, home decor, Kokka linen, euro ribbon and vintage buttons.

How we'll roll::
Take a little gander at the goodies ~ see what strikes your fancy.
Please send a bid to me, writeus4@yahoo.com,  $15 or higher, or you can post your bid right here on the blog. Every hour on the hour - starting at 2pm EST,  I will post the highest bid right here on the blog so folks can keep track and see if they'd like to keep bidding (of course you do!!).

At 8pm EST, on Saturday, January 16th, I will close the bidding and announce the winners at 9pm EST.  Please send a check or money order (no paypal please! I want transparency on these :) made out to the relief organization listed with your package....All  payments must be received within one week or the package will go to the next highest bidder ~ sorry ~ orgs. just need this money *yesterday*.....thank you for understanding!

Please keep in mind these are Flat Rate Priority Envelopes - FULL! :)
These are also discontinued prints that will later be selling on Etsy and Ebay for some prretttay pennies ;)

Ready?
Get Set!
BID!!!

These are from the top to bottom ~

1. Girls Just Want to Have Fun, larger pieces, 1 yards and under, nothing scrappy or tiny :)
Proceeds to:
Yele.org


 2. For The Boys ~ lots of Kokka, and some Kokka linen trim! Smaller pieces, 1/4 yard and under
Doctors Without Borders

3. Amy Butler Beauties, lots of home decor loveliness here, 1 yard and under pieces
 Lambi Fund

4. Dewberry Dreams (Joel Dewberry home decors) ~  under one yard pieces, nothing scrappy or tiny
Hearts With Haiti

5. Dynamic Duo ~ Amy Butler and Joel Dewberry cottons and home decor under one yard pieces
Lambi Fund

6. Kid Krazy! Lots of Kokka linen and more ~ smaller pieces
Hearts With Haiti

Please post your bid with your  package number/ name of package in your comment ~ thank YOU!

One Word 1::365

Ahhh, so busy.
Aren't we all?
I think it's just that, well, some folks are just so good at being busy and organized.
My problem?
I get all excited and dive in.
Head first.
Sometimes in shallow water....
Or better yet.
Sometimes in very deep water.
Did I mention I wasn't a strong swimmer?
So now,
For a new project.
One I'm pretty sure I can actually stick with.
Not to mention inspire me.
And remind me to pause.
And be grateful.
And a good reminder
Of these 4 walls.
See, seems this small space living may atcually really be coming to its end within a year or so.
Really. (well, we'll see)
But, really - that's what it looks like from here.
So this project?
My 365
Right Here.

365:: Small Space:: One Word

Combining the Shutter Sisters One Word Project and a 365 theme of these 800 square feet.

January's Theme?
Create.
Where are the crayons? The fabric? The rubber stamps?
They'll be shown. All in good time.
For now, this is where it starts.
Sums it up so perfectly for me.
The inspiration to create.
These loves of mine.
Just
Plain
Love.

Bag it.

Winter.

7 people. All their *stuff*.

Without a mudroom.

"Ummm", (she says as she bites the inside of her lip and drums her fingers)..."not again".

Oh yes :: Again.

So, instead of dread, I decided to do.

We tend to have a bit of a winter clothing issue here...you would think, "Now how many places can a mitten hide in 800 square feet?", but oh - they find a way. Then there is the "Mine" factor. As in that's not mine. Well, they look all the same size. Really.

That was it.  So, now we're baggin' it.  Where once we had a basket full of outer wear, now we each have a bag. Once your goods are dried, they go back in the bag - that is, if you ever hope to see them again.

These are even easier than those zippered doohickeys. Thin elastic drawn through and tied. They even close themselves! Now how much easier does it get?  If only we can get those mittens in their bags - we''ll be golden.

Beginnings

Of a New Year.

We rang in the New Year  with some birthday cake for sweet Baby New Year (confetti sprinkles and all, courtesy of India Tree), a parade around the house (all 800 square feet of it)  with some fun and funky instruments from Servv to awaken little Baby New Year, along with some reminders of what we loved about 2009 and what some goals may be for 2010.

A tradition we have had in our family is the New Year's Eve wish. Everyone lights a candle (occasionally, sung to This Little Light of Mine) then thinks about a special wish they have for the coming year. When they feel they have thought enough and have a picture in their mind of their special wish - they blow out the candle. We tell of how the smoke carries the wish out in the world where Baby New Year will find them (although, the Baby New Year story we told at bedtime this year..I think next year we will tell it with the candles).

Here is that story ~

The long winter was just beginning. Snow fell softly while Baby New Year slept soundly in his moon cradle. Mother Earth sang softly and Father Time geltly strummed his lyre. Amid all this peacefullness Baby New Year began to slowly stir. He dreamed he heard the voices of children calling him to wake up; "Wake up Baby New Year!!". He heard instruments sounding and the cries of happy children calling him to come and play. To awaken the new year and join their merriment.

This dream, it brought a smile to his sleeping face and Mother Earth gently stroked his soft hair back..."Time to wake up little one. The new year is waiting." . At this, Baby New Year yawned a sleepy yawn and slowly opened his clear eyes. "I dreamed of the children.", he said as Father Time gently lifted him from his moon cradle. "Yes, little one. They have been waiting for you to come with your net."

"My net, yes!" and he scampers to the corner where his net has been safely hung and waiting since last year. With a kiss from Mother Earth, a hug from Father Time and a bite of New Year cake he sets off into the world collecting all of the wishes of the world in his silvery net. Once the wishes have been gathered , Baby New Year brings them to his Wishing Pool where he gently blows into the small end of the net and all of the wishes softly drift down into the Wishing Pool where they wait for the right time to come true. He gazes into the pool for a time, says his Wish Blessing. As he turns to go he sees Mother Earth and Father Time smiling lovingly as he holds their hands and they head back home.

Baby New Year's Wish Blessing

For the New Year
Let all good 
 and light 
 fill the world
Tonight.
Amen.

******************************************************************************

My intention for the New Year is to continue to document our life inside these walls, only with a bit more candor and openness about life in these wooden walls, along with some love and, hopefully, a whole lot of grace. I'm also embarking on a couple of new projects ~ one can be seen here and another here.

Join me for the ride?