JCasa BLOG

making special somethings

watercolors : sunshine on a cloudy day.  happy monday!  xoxo

instagreen

i love seeing colors surface on instagram*.  this week it's been easy being green.

we're looking forward to a glorious weekend filled with the green of both soccer and football (cheerleading!) fields for the girls' first games of the season.

wishing you + yours sunshine happy days ahead.  xoxo

 

*i'm jcasa on instagram.  come say hi!

 

 

quiet post.  i always enjoy hearing from you and kindly hellos are welcome via email jennifer@jcasahandmade.com

spring flowers

i spent a goodly part of a recent saturday extracting the Italian parsley beast that had spread itself throughout ALL the flower beds (from one tiny plant last year, oh my), and it's nice to see some pretties blooming once again.  there is still much work to be done, and we have not yet touched the vegetable beds, but we'll get there.

what are your garden plans for this year?  are you growing anything new?  i sprinkled a packet of wildflower seeds somewhere where i shouldn't have late last summer, and am now finding all matter of weeds where i don't want them.  my good intentions resulted in green behemoths towering over delicate forget-me-nots and the like, and that simply won't do.  i need to plan a bit better what is going on in the gardens, and actually keep a gardening journal of sorts.  do you keep a gardening journal?  has it helped with how you chronicle to evolution of your gardens?

but much to my surprise and delight, there is a new bed of statuesque daisies on the side of the house.  and apparently, somebody loves me.  xoxo

treasure

the girls weren't the only ones who got their rainbows on over the weekend.  after all, what would St. Patrick's day be without little visit from the sneaky leprechaun.

it all started a few months ago when i saw gelt in the stores and actually had the forethought to stash away a few bundles for this very occasion.  then there was this thrifted plate.

add in a whole lotta healthy fruits, and the rest is history.

a sunshine happy day to you!  xoxo

the whimsy of rainbows

oh my, we have never had that much jell-o in the house.  but how fun, right?  i never knew there was blue and purple jello, but the kiddos sure did.  and just like that, it was decided that they would embark on a week-long project of sunshine-happy-day-making.  who doesn't love a rainbow?

remember last year's rainbows filled with gold?  so whimsical and cheery.  makes me smile every time.  xoxo

advent 2011 [08] : ruffles

the holidays seemed like a perfect time to try out this ruffled streamer tutorial (by dana of MADE) which has been patiently waiting on my to-do list for months.  enter my trip to the market wednesday morning when i happened upon the streamers and here we have 'em.

some of you may know i love all things peppermint... red + white ruffles it is!

super simple to make (and fun!) - you'll be finding new uses for them everywhere you look.  and they have a magical way of turning a frown upside down.  xoxo

- - -

advent is a happy time when we celebrate, give and share with the ones we love.
join us here for simple + handmade daily projects to celebrate the season.
pass it on.  xoxo

- - -

grab a button to display on your site | blog.
click over each morning to see our project of the day.

happy holidays!  xoxo

saturday inspiration

the delicate embroidery on these vintage hankies really have me swooning today.
goodness knows, the piles of laundry are not doing it for me.  happy saturday!  xoxo

new in the shop this week

: pretty things made from pretty old things :

inspired by my love of vintage fabrics and wanting to have little bits of the lovely textiles with me in new and unexpected ways, i created "patchwork" keychains + fabric pendants.

and a few new pretty old things.

now available @ the JCasa SHOP.  xoxo

happiness is : new + same

morning walks down and around the lake have made their way back into the routine of my days, and i couldn't be happier.  i'm really enjoying the opportunity to get out bright and early, get moving, breathe fresh air deep into my lungs, and clear my mind before getting down to whatever is on the calendar.

each day i travel the same paths, see the same trees + same lake, wave to the same couple walking with their baby, am sized up by the same pack of sled huskies...

yet, each day there is something fresh and new and invigorating.  it's all how you look at things, how you filter it all.  enjoy your day.  be it full of new or same.  xoxo

.

.

.

I truly appreciate your comments. Thank you for sharing + spending time in this space.

your projects!

i am always so excited to check in on the JCasa Patterns Flickr group and see what you've been up to.  color me impressed, yet again.  you guys are amazing!  

1. Bibs Galore, 2. story puzzle blocks, 3. list taker for a friend, 4. Kidlet, tutorial by JCasa, 5. 10.12, 6. mushroomdress 4, 7. IMG_5867, 8. Sherbet Pips baby bib, 9. Craft Show Sewing

if YOU have made anything using my sewing patterns, knitting patterns, some of my craft projects or even projects from TYV Crafting with Kids, i encourage you to share your images in the Flickr group - we'd love to see what you've made, and perhaps even feature your work here on JCasa *handmade!

it is a total pleasure to do what i do, and i look forward to launching even more sewing + knitting patterns very very soon.  (enough of a tease?)  xoxo