the making has begun.
this year we are giving handmade lip balms and hand salves. perfect for this bitter cold weather.
today we will start to make cookie doughs to freeze and then bake at the end of next week. i love this recipe.
we will also make chocolate covered apricots. this week.
hannah coaxed me into giving her the socks i was knitting for her a few weeks early so her toes could be toasty warm with all of the sledding that’s been happening here.
today is hannah’s last nutcracker performance. she has worked so hard and danced so beautifully.
i never tire of watching it over and over.
yet it will be nice to have a bit of a break from it all for the next few weeks.
The Joys of Thrifting
oh thrifting.
i used to struggle with the guilt about how much i love it. but recently i have embraced the fact that for me it is an art. a creative process. it’s a big part of who i am and how i express myself and my style in both my wardrobe and in my home. but most importantly it brings me a lot of joy!
i like having things that no one else has. i like finding other creative uses for things. i like recycling and giving things another life. i like the hunt. i like old, well made things. i like the history and the story these things hold. i like mixing these finds in with our handmade crafts and what we find out in the natural world and tying it all together to tell our own story.
creating a home filled with things that i love is something i grew up with. my mother instilled in us an appreciation for beautiful useful things even down to your dustpan and broom.
above are a few things found on a thrifting adventure yesterday.
:: a cream colored cable sweater with toggle closure. a new color for me!
:: wool fringed checked scarf. a small square sized one perfect for one knot around the neck.
:: rust cabled gloves. to match the new fallen leaves.
:: wooden spindle chair to pair with hannah’s desk. plan to make a little cushion for it.
:: an old wooden scoop used as a shelf in my kitchen for now but also to be used to hold napkins and utensils when hosting dinner and parties.
so it’s that time of year again where i brag about my talented hubby and show off the handmade goodness he gifted to us this christmas. he kept it simple this year and stuck to two gifts. but what amazing gifts they are!
i was more than speechless and in awe when i opened my beautiful ukulele that he built from top to bottom.
i kept asking him “you really built this? the whole thing? even the neck, the frets, everything?!!”
i am truly amazed at his talent. he can build anything.
not only is is beautiful but one of a kind and somewhat romantic if you ask me.
the sound holes are also peep holes that look in to little dancers from an old coo coo clock he salvaged for parts. it’s like i have little people inside dancing to my music.
it is inspired by a cigar box guitar but he couldn’t find a box he liked so he built his own.
and it even can be plugged in to an amp to be electrified. seriously.
he showed it to our cousin who is a musician who immediately ordered two to be built for the new year.
timber and co. now builds musical instruments!
he is designing a cigar box amp to go with it too.
it plays just beautifully and the best part of all is it was built just for me.
the other beauty that he made was gifted to the girls. a gorgeous kick sled inspired by this story. if you have not seen this yet, i highly recommend this magical and beautiful movie.
the sled is impeccably made from poplar, with runners sanded and polished with bowling alley wax. the girls are looking forward to some snow tomorrow to try it out.
we are all still in holiday bliss here, sleeping in and snuggling by the fire, nibbling on sweets, playing with our new games. we are all loving these.
there is always a tray of chocolates and cookies out and ready for friends and family who stop by.
today we are heading into the city to see this. and then out for tea and cakes.
christmas has really just begun at our house.
this year’s handmade gift list so far includes:
::chocolate covered apricots
::birch beer
::elderberry syrup (for the upcoming cold season)
::an array of cookies including ginger stars.
::those little wood burned ornaments will be present toppers.
there’s still a week left so who knows what still could be made.
i have been cleaning out my pantry and cabinets of glass jars, baskets and containers to fill with cookies, chocolate covered fruit or forced paperwhite bulbs. i love giving things a new life and especially a new home.
i am off to my moms to paint my old childhood dollhouse.
we are giving it to the girls for christmas with an updated look.
i am going to paint the outside of the house the color of our own house and the inside rooms revere pewter.
maybe i can find a little chicken coop with chickens so it really feels like home.
even better would be if i could find a new little dollhouse family. one with a bearded dad with glasses and a tool belt.
i’m such a sap.
a few more goodies in the shop including a fun hexagon shaped votive holder.
a new item in the shop.
a lovely votive holder made from salvaged black walnut.
a not so busy day involving some curried vegetable soup, a visit to our local cafe for a treat, some knitting and watching these.
what did you do today?