How does your garden Grow?

Mary, Mary quite contrary

How does your garden grow?

With silver bells

And cockle shells,

And pretty maids all in a row.

. . . and a sprightly little flower fairy!

First Birthday

One year.  Has she really been here only a year?  It seems longer.  I've heard it said by many that having your first child will change your life completely.   I suppose it has changed, all for the better in my opinion.  After waiting so long for Lydia to join our family we welcome the wonderful changes to our life.  To celebrate Lydia's first year we had a quiet family party filled with yummy food (this girl loves pasta!), presents, birthday cards and CAKE!  Happy birthday my girl!

Baby's First Easter

Happy Easter dear friends & family!

Recent Finds

 For me shopping, most any kind of shopping is fun.  You go to the store and see all the beautiful things laid out before you to make your selection.  After surveying the offering and choosing just the right thing you get to take your treasures home with you.  The experience is even more thrilling when the treasures you find where once cherished by someone else and have now been given new life in your eyes and heart.  The item has a past life, a story, a history that for the new owner is often full of wonder and mystery.  This is not merely shopping, but treasure hunting.

What a treasure for the original owners of these sweaters to have a warm woolen garment.  Maybe they lived somewhere cold and the extra warmth was essential, or maybe their main thought was luxury and fashion. Oh yes! cashmere is quite a luxury.  Now they'll have a wonderful new life keeping sweet babes warm and snug.

How many sweet babes sat here?  Did they study the richness of the wood grain with their inquisitive little eyes as they discovered delicious new foods?  

What excitement the first rider of this trusty stead must have felt.  He waits patiently now in his new home, waiting for the next tiny rider.  I can see the joy on her face already, the sweetest of treasures.

*Mandala Monday*

*Mandala Monday* a weekly meditation to explore and restore creativity.  

If you feel inspired to do the same, please leave a link in the 'comments' section for all to find and see.

"Are you an artist?" my twelve year old niece asked recently as I flipped through my sketchbook to find a blank page.  We each have the ability within us to create, whether it be a drawing, painting, sculpture, collage or photograph.  We don't have to be great, just enjoy the process feel deeply the emotions that come through our work. In answer to her question, "Yes! dear girl, and so are you."

On My Needles

Two I-Cords.

 The first one I knit was too plump for the job.  So I divided the four strands of the yarn, two and two.

*love*

The perfect drawstrings!

Gray Day

It's a gray day.  Gray but not gloomy, not to me.  These are some of my very *favorite* kinds of days.  The world seems a bit quieter, and home is every so much cozier.  Yes, the perfect day for snuggling sweet babies and baking bread. Oh, yes! Today is most definitely a bread day.  Nothing like warm soft bread fresh from the oven, mmm.  It's these simple comforts, the rhythms we build, that are the essence of H O M E.