To Market, to Market

Farmers's Market season is coming to a close. I'm so ridiculously sad this year! We were able to do 80% of our shopping there over the past few months. Add a few gallons of milk weekly and we were set. We could stock up on flour and pasta in one trip and have to go to the "actual" store shopping only every 2-3 weeks. I'd send my husband to pick up milk, bananas & diapers and we were set. Let me tell you, it's been AMAZING! We've also been able to spend less than we typically do at the store for a higher quality, fresher foods.

With a house full of vegetarians, we go through a ton of fresh fruit & vegetables each week. I love that my kids have met the farmers that raise the chickens that lay the eggs they eat for breakfast. They can ask the farmers a questions about their food, directly and get an immediate response. I love letting them pick out new foods at the market and being able to ask right then, "Ummm... How do I make.. uhh this thing? What is this?". I love organic food, especially at at non-organic prices.

It's been a great season and we've made it to the big market every Saturday [except one. I sure was sorry that week!]. We also found another market to attend on Thursday night that gives us a few extra days of food before the weekend. -plus the best corn I've ever tasted is sold there.

I'm looking forward to the next few weeks where we will stock up on apples for apple mash, applesauce, apple pie and just tasty, fresh raw apples. Yummmmmm!

Making play doh

With two little sick boys this week and LOTS & LOTS of rain, we were pretty much stuck in the house. Needing something fun to do to ease the time, we made play doh the other day. Now, this is the first time I've done this with Lucian. I thought he'd be super excited when I mentioned it. Maybe giggling & acting all silly excited. Instead... he said, "Uhhh, Mama? .... We have play doh from the store.... right in the other room. Did YOU want to play with that? I get it". A little defeated, I just chuckled and said nevermind. Five minutes later, I had a little boy begging to make "special- fun" play dough with me. 


I  don't remember where I got this recipe {if you have a source please let me know}. It's super easy and quick! The best part is the kids can actually do everything but add the hot water. The simple act of actually using his very own hands to make this, has been enough to entertain him for about an hour a day. Unheard of for him! It is special playdoh. So grab your favorite kid & get cooking.

Homemade Play Doh:

2 cups water {Boiling hot}

2 cups of plain flour

1 cup salt

2 tablespoons oil 

4 tablespoons of cream of tartar 
food coloring
Add all ingredients in a bowl. Last step is add hot water. Stir. Allow to dry and get playing.

Fall Equinox

Autumn has arrived! My favorite season with all it's wonderful smells of apple pies, spices and crisp, brisk air. The beautifully changing, crunchy fall leaves. I can't wait until our Japanese Maple turns red-it's officially fall in our yard then. I made this quick little table runner for the season. One side is a colorful mix of Autumn leaves for September & November. For the month of October it can be flipped over to the Halloween side. {Ohh, how I also love Halloween too!}

It's finished with a pretty, orange, hand sewn binding to add just the right amount of color to either side. I'm happy with how it turned out. It adds a nice touch of textiles to the table. We have fewer fresh flowers on the table as the cold weather joins us {boo}. I'm hoping this touch of color & texture will brighten my mood just like the flowers do in Spring & Summer.

something

Something shifted for me today. Something changed as I stared into the face of my baby. My baby was suddenly, not such a baby anymore. When had this happened? I didn't receive the, "time to grow up" memo! Yet, there he sits, across the table from me, on a chair he climbed into all alone. Munching a big, juicy, green apple that one of the big kids left lying around, forgotten & discarded. He found the forgotten prize, squealing in delight with a big chomp.

I sat looking. Looking at my child, so un-baby like in his mannerism. I then realized I would never have let the other kids eat a raw apple at this age! I would have snatched it right from their hands, explaining they would choke on such things. So very much has changed. By my fourth child, I've relaxed and calmed down. I've learned the little things, the things you love the most are the things that pass the fastest {late night snuggles, holding hands, soft, sleeping baby cheek on your chest}.

No longer are important milestones, quickly written down in precise detail on the calender, but instead enjoyed in the moment. I've since let go of the crippling fear that everything in existence "could" hurt my child. Oh the paranoia with number one {sorry kid!}. Without the constant assessing and measuring, my baby grew up before my eyes. Instead of realizing every inch and growth, this time I watched... just watched. Enjoying the time and cherishing the moments, not the stats. Enjoying the being, not the details that he was made up of.  Watching. Loving. Hoping to remember forever.

Without realizing, it was, in one glance today, that all those missing stats added up in front of me. My baby. My boy. My son. I am so very, madly in love with this little guy. He's amazing and funny. The curls, oh god, the curls! Cuddly and sweet, but mischievous in the grandest ways and enjoys life with such wholeness.

He sure is something, this one!

Wordless Wednesday

{Modern, Alice in Wonderland}

Getting ready!

Craftin Outlaws is only a few weeks away! This will be my 5th year with the show! {Crazy, right?} It seems like just yesterday I started my little business. Five years ago, this was the very first show I ever vended. I was super sick, early pregnant with Lucian, but hadn't told anyone yet. I had no idea what to expect and felt like everyone else knew exactly what they were doing [except me]. Well, the day was amazing, I was totally hooked on getting to talk to my customers in person and the show. I've applied every year since with my fingers crossed tightly until I get my acceptance letter.

This will be my first year working the show that I'm not pregnant or nursing. YAY- I'm not going to be feeling sick or worrying when my baby will be joining me to eat. {while I love both pregnancy & nursing, it adds a small level of stress for me at shows}

I've been working hard on lots of new items for the show. I have some great new, colorful fabric prints and have expanded my organic line. Look for new items to make their debut: pillows, and coffee sleeves, in addition to all of my regular line up of bibs, blankets, boo-boo packs and accessories.

Hope to see everyone there!! Check the Outlaws website for early bird passes, {they are new this year}

New pic's

 We spent a little time Sunday, re-shooting a few Kunklebbay items and photographing lots of new stuff for the first time. I'm really happy with how they came out and we had a lot of fun.... Well, I thought it was a lot of fun. My husband thought it to be a bit chaotic and said "let's just go", several times. The thing is with 4 kids, a park, boxes of merchandise and shoot props, it's bound to be chaotic, it's finding the little bits in between that can be used. I am so happy with those little bits.

The chaotic bits: a three year old who was determined he was at the park only to climb tree's, and only those on the other side of the field, a large dog who wanted to join the kids pictures, a cranky baby who wanted to know what in the world we were doing in the park.. with his rocking chair & pillow. A grumpy seven year old [who think's he's 15] who just wanted to either be in every picture, or alone, in the woods.

All in all I took 432 pictures. We got to run in the park for an hour. We missed the rain [as soon as I started our van, sprinkles started dancing across the windshield. {sigh, really?} Undeterred, I drove to the park anyways with hope. Finally, I was happy to realize there would be no more rain.

Best of all, I got this picture below. Which makes me smile with happiness! If you'd like to see more of the photo shoot and some new items, check out the shop: Kunklebaby

We've been enjoying..

Lots & lots of  yummy homemade breads

Peach Lemon-aid = so good!

Best Homemade Peach Cobbler Ever... yes, ever!

The many faces of this silly little boy

Made Monday: Quilt

Finally finished up the quilt I've been working on. It was a gift for the new baby that joined our friends last week. I was hoping to get it done before his birth, but... he arrived a little early, so I'm going with that as the reason. hee-hee.

I forgot to take a picture of the back. It had a really vibrant blue print with modern little cars that looked abstract from far away. I'm really happy with how it turned out. It was definitively made with lots of love! This was one of those projects that whatever could go wrong did. My walking foot broke, and on & on. In the end, I do think the binding turned out perfect though. Hand sewn binding just makes a quilt for me. I also love the texture after I washed it and it got all nice & wrinkly through the quilting. Have a happy life in your new happy home.

New Beginnings

Last weekend, I was lucky enough to witness the birth of a new little soul. My best friend had her first son, and I got to be there. I even cut the cord-seriously. It was so amazing. I've had four of my own babies, and saw three more come into this world, but this was my first cord cutting.

As the cord was cut, this sweet boy was officially his own person. Separated from his mama's body, he now has to breathe, and eat for himself. The world is a new place with many sensations, noises and newness. I couldn't help but feel a sense of rightness enfolding. You see, I've wished for Mary after the birth of EVERY single one of my babies. We had a falling out & lost touch during college. It was always one of those wrongs that I've always wanted righted.

When I moved to Columbus I was an 18 year old kid, with no life experience other than being at home with my parents. [like most college freshman]. I was in a new city and pretty much on my own. I met Mary the first day, she was my new roommate from Texas. From the very beginning she looked out for me, making sure I woke up on time [i'm so not a morning person & NEVER was]. She made breakfast, went to parks with me, the library. Pretty much we did everything together. These things are all fine & great- many of you have friends like that. It was how she did it.  She was so nurturing & kind, wanting nothing in return. I was so angry & hostile at the time [although I didn't realize it then]. Angry at the world! I had built up this tough persona because I was so wounded, and actually afraid to admit it.

I started calling her Mama Mary after only a few weeks, I think. Without even realizing it, she opened my eyes to who I "could" be and the happiness I could have if I just stopped being so damn angry. Still it took years to pass until I realized it. When we had a argument, I responded in the only way I knew at the time-anger to mask my hurt & fear. She moved out, I grumbled.

A few years later, Dylan was born and all I wished for was to have Mary at my side to meet my son. While I hadn't seen her in several years, she still felt like a mother to me-to the NEW me. The improved me. The me I wanted her to know now existed. More children joined our family.. rather quickly and I still felt a sadness that wouldn't pass. I wanted to thank Mary for the mother I was. The mother I had become, the mother I wanted to be. It was all because of her & the small kindness she bestowed on me for a small year and a half, back in the day. The year and a half that changed me! Gave me the self esteem to realize what I could be- and someday would be.

When I randomly ran into her last year, I was overjoyed, but so cautious. Would we still be friends? Had I built it up to be so great, reality would fail me? Would she even want to speak to me after I spoke to her so unkindly. Then one year later -almost to the date- and I am cutting the cord to her baby. Cutting away the old- the pain & regret, the doomed "argument" A new future ahead. It no longer mattered that she wasn't with me when my babies arrived because she is with them now--all the time. I could be with her for her birth, and I hope I helped her just a little for those few hours, like she helped me all those years ago. Some way to even try and payback some of her kindness.

Thank you for letting me be present at the baby's birth. [she's now Mama Mary to three of her own little one's] It meant more to me than you'll ever know!