My Boys and their Belts - Handmade Kids Belts

It seems like the boys have a few months of bliss in every pair of pants/shorts they own...you know when the length and the width are just perfect and they are toddler heart throbs!  Then the awkward stage sets in and I can't help but curse the clothing from shrinking in the laundry or mutating in the closet.  As if overnight they are too short, too tight and it appears as if I am raising Tom Selleck wanna-be's (minus the facial hair, of course!).  So then they go into the next pair of pants that are too long or too loose at the waste and as the boys run off to play their pants slowly creep down until the moon shines!  Jack has become very self conscience about his underwear showing from his pants being too loose and he told me that his teacher told him that he needed to get a belt.  Away we went to our favorite craft store Beverly's and the boys picked out what they wanted for their new belts. 

Tutorial found here:  Super Cool Boys Belt Tutorial

Lincoln's belt (the one with the alphabet) was intentionally made less sturdy.  It still does the trick but I didn't want it to be as hard to slip the ends in and out of the D-ring because his hands just can't manuver things quite as well as Jacks.  After I made these I found this really cool tutorial using velco Penny in my Purse Kids Belt Tutorial and snaps Elsie Marley Boy Belt Tutorial for the younger ones.

Make sure to enter the $25 shop credit at The Bloomin Boutique here Giving Thanks for the Bloomin Boutique Giveaway.  Ends this Wednesday, Dec. 1st

What I'm Thankful for this Thanksgiving.

The Lord my Savior - the faith of my family - Mr. Rogers who is amazing - the boys - baby girl - the familial clan - friends new and old - health - the natural beauty of the Earth - our home - the food in our fridge - having a job I love (most days at least) - education - democracy - an intellectual pastor - history nerds - paintings - books to enrich my mind and heart - automatic opening doors (despite the fact that they are attached to a mini-van) - flowers in the yard - handmade goodies - red chile - carmel and sea salt hot chocolate - baby wipes - vintage sewing patterns - and matching Maggie and Mommy Minnetonka moccasins...just to name a few.

Our Giving Thanks Giveaway from The Bloomin Boutique has had the most beautiful comments of thanks on it so far.  The blossom clips are simply wonderful and the $25 shop credit is most generous- go and enter as the giveaway closes on Wednesday, December 1st.

Handmade Holiday Maggie

You might say that my two new obsessions are vintage patterns and corduroy!  My first project was Maggie's cape and this little number completes my second project.  Done in a wonderful yellow corduroy this dress just melts my heart with its short hemline and puffed sleeves.  Seeing as it is yellow, I think it will work for all the winter holidays plus will carry on into spring.  Also, it has a zipper in the back which allows for longer use because it allows for easier accessabilty to get over head and shoulders.  I'm thinking this dress will easily clear next winter and spring as well as this one! 

This dress was made from the Simplicity 5993 pattern, circa 1973, but would I love to make one for the little girl in your life?  YES!  If you measure your sweet one's chest and it is 19-21" across then this little dress would fit but I could even take it in a little more!  Light brown, medium brown, red and even more yellow corduroy just waiting on my fabric shelf to be sewn into this little dress.  Eventhough yellow really works for Christmas I was thinking about sewing a red one too that could also be used on Valentine's Day! 

To complete my handmade holiday Maggie, Jacki at The Bloomin Boutique surprised me with this bloom clip and headband to match with Lincoln's bow-tie.  Her cowgirl boots are Pediped and she LOVES wearing them.  Her foot is a size 5 but I bought size 8 so that she would out grow them too fast (since they are a splurge) and also it REALLY helps with putting them on and off.  Oh, how I wish I could find a pair of matching red boots for myself...if only I could handcraft some up in my sewing room!

This year I've been trying to give only handmade gifts that I either bought or made.  There is something special about handmade items and I really like the idea of giving the people I love something that was made with love.  As the shopping season gives way I'm going to do a couple of posts on handmade items that I've purchased and have loved. 

Happy Fall! From Jack

Having a child on the prowl for fall leaves makes for a lot of containers around the house stuffed with changing leaves.  Jack has been learning about leaves the past few weeks at school which has put him on a one-child hunt for every leaf in the color spectrum.  Is now my opportunity to teach him about ROY G BIV (don't mind my geekiness creeping in there!)?  Upon picking Jack up today, I ran into a friend and of course taking the opportunity for a quick tete-a-tete, we let the boys run around.  Almost as fun as seeing my friend was turning around to see Jack and his sweet little friend in the midst of some eager leaf collecting and color sorting.  Jack couldn't bare to leave without some of those leaves so he began to assemble a bouquet for his teacher...how he even knows what a bouquet is still perplexes me.  We went home, tied a bow around the bouquet, made a card, and took it back to school where it awaits for his teacher to discover tomorrow morning in her box.

On his card he wrote: 

Happy Fall!  From Jack

Being Thankful for Veteran's

Growing up I was always well aware of the Vietnam War since my parents and the majority of my friend’s parents were all baby boomers. My Uncle Tom would tell stories about fighting in Vietnam and I loved listening to them. My dad went to med school to avoid fighting in a war he did not believe in, my stepdad enlisted but then was dismissed because of his lousy feet and his brother was laying telephone lines in the jungles of Vietnam while his wife was engaged in Anti-Vietnam War activities at home. All baby boomers have a commentary about the Vietnam Era, other generations have some of the Korean War, or the Gulf War, and a few remain from WWII. I'm always a willing ear when it comes to Veterans and who doesn't appreciate when someone is there to listen to their story.

U.S. Air Force Military Merit and Good Conduct  from IndigoHeirlooms on Etsy

This year Veteran’s Day has taken on a deeper meaning since it is a little closer to home. My dear friend Kara saw her husband deployed to Afghanistan in September, he is a Navy chaplain. Since then fifteen men have died in his battalion and forty-nine remain wounded, their deployment ends in April. These are men with little children who will never really know their fathers, wives who have lost the love of their life, and parents who have to bury their sons. Can you imagine losing those that are irreplaceable? It's easy to be upset by the political policies of war especially when it comes to the Vietnam War and the two current wars that the United States is engaged in, especially when they are long and drawn out and especially when you think about the lives being lost. However, these men have willfully given their lives because that is how much they love America. There are a lot of ungrateful Americans, and sometimes I am one of those, sometimes ashamed by the stereotypes that are put on Americans, sometimes ashamed by the actions of the American government, and there are elements of America that straight up disgust me but nothing is perfect because humans are flawed and no country anywhere in the world is enjoying utopia. As I have taught American history the past five years, I’ve grown incredibly devoted to my country in ways that I never thought I would. Studying the history, relatively short as it is, there are a lot of awful things that America and Americans have done but what I love most is the self-reflection and self-correction of the American people. A constant state of revolutions, some peaceful and some not, to make the country a better place and through it all the country has stayed united and through it all people have given their lives for the benefit of others.

Today on Veteran's Day I think about our currently deployed men and women and I think about the Vietnam Veterans. These are two groups of Veterans that are part of unpopular wars but who have still given the same sacrifices that the men of WWII gave and they should not be underappreciated or undervalued.

Handmade Wood Needle Felted Dala Horse Clip for Maggie

We are taking our yearly family photo this weekend with a large Swedish Dala Horse, I do realize how curious that sounds!  I've been busy this week assembling the kids outfits for the picture...the handmade vests and bow-ties for the boys and a sweet white dress from a vintage 1971 pattern I purchased last week.  Of course, hair accessories are a big part of Maggie's outfit and I just couldn't resist this wonderful Swedish Dala Horse Clip by PammyDawn.  I've been drooling over her handmade felt clips for a while and I simply LOVE the needle felted wool details on this Dala Horse.  Here is a previous posting I did about Pammy Dawn's Etsy shop: Please Nestle In Our Hair

Bow-Tie-Licious!

Jack on the left + Lincoln on the right = Bow-Tie-Licious!

So excited for the boys to wear these for our holiday festivities this year!  Hesitant on whether the boys would go for this look, seeing as one of the words is "bow" which they only associate with Maggie, I let them select their fabrics.  Jack chose his self-named "New Mexico" fabric which made my heart jump with glee.  Lincoln was equally excited about his fabric with orange circles on it, orange being the only word he knows how to spell...seriously, he learned how to spell orange before his own name!  Thankfully when I went to wrap them around their necks upon completion there was nothing but giggles and no tantrums and throwing of bow-ties, phew!

How to Make a Bow Tie and Bow-Tie Hardware from Prudent Baby

All Things Pistachio

On any given day you will find at least three types of nuts in our pantry...at the least!  If you are an urban dweller you may not realize that we are in the throws of nut harvest season.  Since September I have been regularly playing Frogger on my way to and from work as I dodge between moving Almond, Walnut, and Pistachio farm equipment, regular vehicular traffic, and your various stray dog, cat or quail.  When I'm on the verge of road rage I just think of those cracking shells and the taste of yummy green nuts and it is worth driving 15 mph to work any day! 

Mr. Rogers brought some fresh roasted pistachios home the other day...mouthwatering!  He also brought some fresh off the trees and much to my surprise they have this beautiful outer almost rubbery like shell that encloses them while still on the trees.  All Lincoln wanted to do was peel off those soft outer shells and eat the pistachios, but raw pistachios are the exact opposite of mouthwatering!

Lincoln hands are one thing that are more scrumptous than pistachios!

The following is an evening with pistachios when left to my own devices:

First, I want to eat salt and pepper roasted pistachios, then I want this for a little sweet to contrast the savory...

Fresh Pistachio Nougat Bars by HaveItConfections on Etsy

Lips licked clean, they will need to be promptly smothered in some creamy pistachio lip butter...Pistacia - Creamy Pistachio -shea lip butter by Soapopatamus on Etsy

Alas, few evenings pass without time spent at a desk to hash out lesson plans.  Being greeted by a cheery pistachio corkboard would be lovely ...mmm, I'll take a piece of that Rhubarb Crumble as well!

Small Round Pistachio Board by NewLeafHandmade on Etsy

The boys would dig a little earth science lesson of their own with this very cool pistachio and raspberry colored beetle from the Philippines....we'll throw in a little geography as well!

Real Snout Beetle Weevil  by RealButterflyGifts on Etsy

We don't want to leave Maggie out and if she doesn't need this swirly hat then

I don't know what on earth she does need because it's starting to get cold!

sweet pea PISTACHIO GREEN swirly ice cream hat by SwirlyHats on Etsy

We wouldn't want to leave Mr. Rogers out since he is the one who got us thinking about all things pistachio and so it would be most thoughtful of us to throw in a Pistachio Wood Pen for him to pay the bill for our crazy pistachio Etsy finds!

Pistachio Wood Ballpoint Pen by KConnorMills on Etsy

O' Pistachios, who knew what wonderful things you've inspired!

I VOTED!

This sign made me smile as I approached the little neighborhood church to vote this morning.  Secretly I think that some people vote just for that little "I voted" sticker you get but if that does the trick then so be it!

El Día feliz del Muerto a usted!

Hands down my favorite Day of the Dead alter I saw at school today was for Tupac Shakur!  What I failed to understand was why 2Pac's altar had fresh donuts on it, yet not a single donut was presented to me today for being such an outstanding teacher...those ungrateful heathens!

Day of the Dead Felt Skull Garland Banner at Raw Bone Studio on Etsy

What I love most about Dia de los Muertos are the brilliant colors that are always strung to and fro! 
This handmade garland is fabulous!