JCasa *handmade BLOG

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

just a day

7ish  -   kiddos inform me they're not going to wake me up before heading downstairs.
they had the day off of school, and unlike school days, they are able to awaken themselves with no drama whatsoever.  what is up with that?

8ish  -  i slept in.  i'm no fool.  and as i'm getting out of bed, my body reminds me about the work i've done in yoga classes this week.

9ish  -  pumpkin pancakes.  amen.

10ish  -  computer work for school, band, shop, etc.  there may have been some blog reading in there, as well.  and coffee.

11ish  -  shower and get dressed for the day.  what???  it's before noon.

12ish  -  encourage the girls to get dressed.  and knit while i wait.

1ish  -  depart for lunch out + an afternoon of treasure-hunting, driving south for far too long only to discover that of the 5 great diners i knew of in kent, 2 are now bars, 1 has been levelled, and 2 are not what they used to be. 

2ish  -  happy meals.  what can i say, i gave in.  we were all hungry and i was not about to take them into a bar for wings + beer + a hunting license.

3-5ish  -  treasure hunting.  

6ish  -  we arrive home with a few items, including an amazing chair, a vintage makeup/suitcase, fisher price camera + camping van, a few childrens' books, and vintage needlework too pretty to pass up.

7ish  -  prosecco.

wishing you a weekend filled with joys of your own.  xoxo

it just so happens

today may be your lucky day...

during my recent studio cleanup/cleanout, i happened upon this Japanese craft lovely book, Handmade Zakka, and within seconds i was sitting on the floor once again lost in its pages.  the projects combine knitting + sewing in inspiring small projects primarily for babies.  i cannot read the directions, but the diagrams are amazing and the projects quite easy to follow.  so pretty, right?

so...  a short while later i happened upon another copy of the very same Handmade Zakka book on my shelf.  (i think you know where i'm going with this...)  do you knit + sew?  would enjoy this book?  then do i have a little giveaway for you!

TO ENTER :: leave a comment on this post with your name (obviously) and also give a little description of what you're working on this weekend - are you knitting something special?  do you have a sewing project in the works?  are you baking cupcakes?  planting your spring garden?  i'll leave the post open for comments all weekend and announce a randomly chosen winner on monday and ship it to you where ever you may be.

edited to add - the winner has been announced HERE.

happy weekend!  xoxo

:

[this is not a sponsored giveaway.  just something from me to you.]

highlights

sunshine + big chess + knitting + white linen way way after labor day + best friends

improving vision + sewing + saturday NPR + re-opening the shop + superfun holiday fabrics + special goodies to share very soon

sorting through all the piles + twirling with my girlys to the brandenburg concertos + going for a quiet pedicure + meal planning for the entire week + grocery shopping coming in $7 under budget + baking a last minute tart with mascarpone, apples and blackberries + talking music and basslines with the hub by a crackling fire

and the best part is taking a few moments to think back fondly on all of it once again.  i hope your weekend was filled with highlights, as well - do tell!  xoxo

thrifted booty

due to a rescheduled field trip that had the kiddos at preschool this morning, i found myself with 2 hours to myself.  2 HOURS, PEOPLE!  before children, i never could have comprehended the value of a few spare moments of free time - and the get those hours in daylight, well that is brilliant.  so this morning after dropping the littles off for their fun, i had a bit of fun as well.  instead of mopping the hardwood floors (i swear i'll get right on that after i finish this post), and instead of paying the bills (right after mopping, i promise), i went thrifting - yay!

i am in search of a few wooden chairs for our sunroom to accompany a fabulous vintage cardtable the hub has had since we were dating.  the girls have been using it as lego central up top and their clubhouse underneath.  i think a few chairs will create a lovely little morning spot for coffee and brainstorming for our summer days ahead.  but i'm in no hurry and just enjoy the rush of possibly finding something special like fabric, vintage handsewn bibs, and a summer blouse for a certain purple loving daughter of a certain gingham loving mama.

i did, however, come across something at one of the shops that i feel crosses the line :: a "personal massager" (ahem).  really?  REALLY??? ok, let's think this through...  someone was putting together a bag of stuff to donate and thought this was appropriate?  that would be the first faulty checkpoint.  and someone - an employee of the store - decided it would be appropriate to put it out with the small appliances?  we have a breach here, people.  i can only hope they didn't know what it was.  and that they washed their hands after they touched it.
i mean, seriously.

*deep breaths*  on a lighter note ::

because i couldn't bring myself to end a post with such a grossout.  xoxo