JCasa BLOG

and the CD goes to...

yay liz!

send me an email [jenniferATjcasahandmadeDOTcom] with your mailing address and i'll pop the CD in the mail for you this week.

and thanks to everyone for entering last week's giveaway!  xoxo

workspace breakfast

what you see:

• steelcut oatmeal* w/a squirt of agave + diced nectarine
• coffee, thank you
• pile of coasters that need finishing for the shop + as little surprise gifts to friends here + there
• pearl + the beard cd (there's still time to enter the giveaway)

what you don't see:

• my little pony on the tv in the next room to the delight of girlys in pjs, slippers, sleeping masks + robes (it's quite a look)
• flailing hands as i try to nab the rassafrassa fruit fly in here
• someone sitting in the living room having some "thinking time"
• bills all over the kitchen counter, a tried and true (albeit annoying) method that forces me to deal with them before lunchtime

a good saturday morning to you!  xoxo

* i do NOT like oatmeal.  i do not like it, sam i am.  (except in cookies.  but not the ones with raisins.)  HOWEVER, at my last physical my cholesterol level was bordering on not-good-at-all, and my doctor brought up oatmeal.  (ok, she also brought up more exercise and breaking up with butter, but let's not talk about that right now.)  a friend recommended these steelcut oats and let me tell you, they have changed my mind about oatmeal.  baby steps.

:

update:  someone has finished her thinking time and is back to life.
oh, and i got the fruit fly.

welcome home

a few years ago, the girls + i worked on a special message to greet the hub when he came home from a work trip.  i had my iPhone with me and shot a little movie so that we'd be able to remember that afternoon, as well as the time, love and effort that went into their project.  turns out it had been a good thing i filmed it, because he got home after dark and if memory serves, it may have rained, too.

i have kept this little video on my iPhone for almost 2 years, and it gets me every time.  the clicking of the chalk, the ringing of the bicycle bell, the whirr of the training wheels on the drive, and that husky voice.  love.

note to self : movies are good.  make more movies.  xoxo

finger knitting

we have liftoff, people.  finger knitting.  she is enjoying her crafty independence, as well as requesting a glass of water be brought to her now and then.  "because my hands are busy."  be still, my heart.  sure, it may be a gateway craft to something else in the future, but for now she's we're enjoying some knitting time together.  (if you have a kiddo interested in learning, HERE is a great how-to on knitty with a photo play-by-play, and there are also plenty of helpful videos on youtube.)

do your kiddos finger knit?  if so, what have they made with their strands?  girlygirl is working on a scarf for her camp counselor right now, and i would love to give her a few more ideas of what she can make with her creations.  xoxo

music monday : pearl and the beard (+ a giveaway!)

a few weeks ago i apparently blinked on the radar of a publicist for the brooklyn-based indie folk trio, Pearl and The Beard. and i’m so glad i did. who would have thought my music + knitting would bring a new band into my world.  how cool is that?

say hello to Pearl and The Beard - go on, don't be shy.  click.

that was "sweetness" - without a doubt my favorite track on the album, which is filled with beautiful harmonies, tender lyrics and some really clever instrumentation.  pearl and the beard have such a unique sound, what with the vocals swarming around one another throughout that are punctuated by percussive use of acoustic instruments (guitar + cello) and a healthy dose of hand claps.  and then there is a glockenspiel.  you had me at glockenspiel, to be honest. 

my impression of their sound is one part folk, one part indie, one part poetry, one part smarty-pants, a bit of romance slow dance, and a goodly dash of whimsy.  i'm pleased to be able to share a free download of their song Reverend to share with you all - enjoy!

so, that cocktail of music + knitting i mentioned up there...

well, Jocelyn Mackenzie created a three-person sweater that graces the cover of their album, Killing the Darlings.  HERE is a little video where she explains why + how she did it.  in this age of instant downloads, you really need to offer something visual to get people interested in actually buying the album itself.  how about liner notes with a schematic + pattern to knit a 3-person sweater?  yep.

and yes, today i have a GIVEAWAY!

i am thrilled to be able to offer a copy of Pearl and the Beard's album, Killing the Darlings, to one of my blog readers.  to enter:  simply leave a comment on this post.  and do say hello while you're at it.

comments will remain open until this saturday, 30-july when a winner will be chosen at random.  one entry per customer, please.

i hope you've enjoyed this week's music monday!  i'm looking forward to sharing music finds in this new feature on my blog and think it's a terrific way to kick off the week.  enjoy yours!  xoxo   

: : :

disclaimer - i was contacted by Pearl and the Beard's publicist to see if i would be interested in hearing their CD.  i listened to a few tracks online (and really liked it) and so they sent me two CDs - one for me and one to give away on my blog.  i was not asked to write this post.  i wanted to, and so i did.  everything is my opinion, and a good one at that.  read more about my position on writing reviews on my FAQ page.

saturday inspiration

on this balmy saturday - the first one without a sports activity in four months - we enjoyed:

• pumpkin chocolate chip muffins [our favorite recipe]
• lanyards - there's a whole class at camp dedicated to "lanyarding" and they absolutely love making them - who knew ?
• surreptitiously-refilled crayon rolls [bought a few years back and still great - from sparkle power]
• an ever so pretty thrifted seat pad for my desk chair
• bubbles + the cat = entertainment for everyone
• freshly laundered clothes with undaunted atop the pile - that little number is in high rotation this summer - case in point, i'm wearing the blue one today
• secret knitting - a fall pattern for a favorite quarterly - will share details in a few months
• and i'm kind of loving the floppy hat - planning a tiny bit of restyling and then it will work just fine on vacation

how was your saturday?  a lovely weekend to you all!  xoxo

goodness gracious - no. 5

Goodness Gracious is just that, a collection of things i've happened upon and completely loved this week - projects, interviews, music, kid stuff, and other amazinginess nestled between unrelated but equally cheery instagrams which i post on my twitter feed when goodness happens.  i hope you enjoy this new feature and click over the happy + good times.

: 01 :

our garden is (finally) in, and the peas are begging for a trellis - enter the lovely julia over on tend with her great idea to source the yard for natural trellis materials.  we have a lot of downed limbs and branches back by the woods, so it appears we may have a trellis by the time i post this.

: 02 :

did you know mason jars are the new takeout box?  brilliant!

: 03 :

vintage picnic basket in need of a pic-me-up?  yep, we've got one.  that's why i'm so happy about the pretty up your picnic basket DIY on smile and wave.   yet again, rachel is spot on with another fantastic up-do.  that girl knows a thing or two, i tell ya.

: 04 :

i adore lotta jansdotter, and her summer skirt stencil project is so great.  in the tutorial, she walks you through the process and even provides links for materials you'll need.

: 05 :

i saw this video above called "organizing the bookcase" via CRAFT the other night and could not stop watching it.  so.  completely.  great.  i love that little book that chases after the others.  and how you see time passing on the wall clock.  and the end.  just watch it.  again and again and again.  it does not get old.

: 06 :

must try screenprinting with mod podge.  will report back.  over.

: 07 :

i love love love this no-heat way of curling long hair with a sock to get those dreamy beachy curls and waves.  she's got a lot of great instructional videos on other styles as well - i'm still trying to figure out the best way to give girlygirl a braided crown without too many hair pins, so you can bet i'll be looking through the youtube for up-do lessons.  hairstyle tutorials, who knew? 

: 08 :

oh.  my.  goodness.  (i know i say that a lot, but holy heck this is a goody.)  have you heard of connect design?  i pretty much would love to have anything/everything from that store, but i'd be happy to start with the DIY cross-stich iPhone case.  i would need a 4g first, but when i do...

: 09 :

this is the perfect PERFECT solution for my wish to organize + display + rotate our kids' artwork.  you can bet i'll be doing this.  right.  away.  ohmygoshiloveityesido.

: 10 :

i may have to bake a batch of these strawberry lemonade bars for an upcoming date with friends at the sprinkler park.  i'm a sucker for a good lemon bar, and since we picked nearly 30# of strawberries last month, some of which are already pureed + in the freezer waiting to be called up for duty, i consider happening upon this recipe rather serendipitous.  and who am i to deny those berries the opportunity joining forces with the mighty lemon bar?

xoxo 

- jennifer  |  JCasa -

 

a kindly request

if you ordered my book TYV Crafting with Kids on Amazon and are enjoying it, my publisher and i would LOVE it if you would write a review on Amazon.  we can only assume that there are no reviews yet because everyone and their kids are off enjoying craft time together.  hooray for that!  nevertheless, we'd love to hear what you think and would really appreciate your reviews.

thanks bunches!  xoxo

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other than that, hello.  how are you?

i'm fine, thanks for asking.  it was a rough week of worrying and distracting myself leading up to a second round of mammograms due to a "possible finding."  really?  but we (my left breast + i) are on the other side of things now and happy-go-lucky once again.  it's the second time that has happened in the past few years, and even though i put on a good show of not being anxious, i kind of was.  not as much as last time, but you know what i mean.  once i got my results, i spent the remainder of today feeling ever so thankful that the dice landed in my favor once again.  be sure to do your monthly self-exams and get your annual mammograms, ladies.  xoxo

he's back. again.

the corn fairy is back in town, woo hoo!  this week he dropped off a few summertime treats for the Casa kitchen.  i am thrilled about the brown eggs in particular because i:

• have nothing planned for dinner;
• just got an email that we have a makeup t-ball game tonight;
• found a small hunk of pancetta in the freezer;
• have ripe zucchini and peas in the garden;
• think there is a chunk of wisconsin cheddar in the fridge;
• now have a plan = dinner pie* + salad

as if that weren't perfect enough, not pictured above is the cutest little Amish-baked blueberry pie you ever did see and we happen to have vanilla frozen yogurt in the freezer - a certain two girlys are gonna flip.
thanks, dad!  xoxo

*dinner pie = quiche.  the alias pretty much guarantees it'll be devoured without the slightest hint of whining or loss of masculinity.  whatever works, am i right?

monday lunch

salad from the garden with edamame, a tomato + a few shrimp.  nom.

eaten atop a girlscantell placemat to celebrate spotting sara's towels at anthro this morning - only one left in stock - yay you, sara!  xoxo