It Must Be Inherited

Because we moved into our home a couple of days before Christmas last year, I did do much decorating other than putting up a Christmas tree. That's why I have started early this year! The tree isn't up yet but the mantle, hallway, and dining room are starting to feel festive.

As I was going through all of the boxes of decorations I was struck by how many handmade and vintage ornaments I have. All were acquired or made by my grandmothers, and passed down to me.

They are so sweet and special and they have inspired me to make a few handmade ornaments of my own this year. I'll be posting pics and how-tos for one ornament a week until Christmas. I am not the only crafter out there making ornaments. I found dozens of lovely ornaments made by other very talented crafters that I may attempt to copy. The following are a few of my favorites:

1. April's Mini Matroyshkas;  2. Artichoke Ornaments; 3. Retro Foam Ornaments;  4. Folded Felt Spheres; 5. Fabric Trees; 6. Vintage Paper Snow Flake

Have any of you ever attended an ornament swap? Like a cookie swap, but everyone brings a handmade ornament. I would love to host one but I don't think I have enough crafty friends in the DC area. Let me know if I am wrong.

Starbird - Fresh Friday*

Cooler days and nights have me pulling out the extra blankets and on the look out for stylish throws and quilts to scatter throughout the house.  I have always loved quilts but only have one (in my sons room)  because although I admire the craftsmanship, they don't really fit my design aesthetic. That was until I found Starbird Hammer Thread's Etsy shop, which has a small inventory that includes a few lovely very modern quilts that would fit my home perfectly.

*Fresh Fridays feature Etsy sellers that, at the time of writing, haven't had their first sale. Help them out, buy handmade.

Dressing the Mantle - Sweater Stockings

Thanksgiving always gets me excited about Christmas. Have I mentioned that I LOVE this time of year? To kick off the holiday decorating, I tacked a  project that's been in my "to do" pile for almost two years! Since we have decided to stay put this holiday I decided I couldn't put it off any further. It all started with the discovery that moths had eaten holes in many of my husbands and my favorite sweaters. As I was looking through the sweaters to see if any holes could be repaired, I was struck with inspiration and decided that they could be transformed into Christmas stockings. I think put this project off for so long because I thought it would be difficult. When I finally set aside some time to work on them I was surprised at how easily they came together.

To make your own sweater stockings you'll need:

• Sweaters. thin wool sweaters work best. If you haven't had a recent moth invasion, any Goodwill should have plenty of sweaters to choose from. One large men's sweater will yield two stockings. I used materials salvaged from other sweaters for embellishing.
• Yarn
• Craft needle. A large needle with an eye large enough to thread yarn.
• 1 1/2 - 2 yards of fabric to line the stockings. I used my husbands old shirts and was able to line three stockings with one large flannel shirt.
• Sewing machine.

Step 1: Wash all of the sweaters in hot water and dry them on high heat. This will felt the sweaters and keep them from fraying and unraveling when you cut them.

Step 2: Cut the sleeves off and cut them open along the seems, cut along neck line and one side of body so that you have  flat pieces of sweaters.

Step 3: Use an old stocking to trace or free hand your stocking pattern onto the flat pieces of sweater.

Step 4: Get creative and sketch out designs for your stockings. I went with a woodland theme that will match the rest of my Christmas decorations. My advice is to keep it simple.

step 5: Cut pieces to applique onto the stocking out of the sweater scraps and sew them on using a whip stitch.

Step 6: Use a sewing machine to sew stocking sections together  and line with fabric (this will keep them from stretching out).

We had so much fun, that we couldn't stop at stockings. Our au pair and Elliot used the sweater scraps to make turkey finger puppets. Click here for the pattern.

Modist - Fresh Friday*

I am a sucker for mid century modern chairs. I like the actual chairs, little models of chairs, prints of chairs etc. So when I came across Modist's chair print bags I had to share them. That and I really liked the shop's motto, "Selling the eco friendly, mid century modern love one tote at a time".

*Fresh Friday's feature Etsy sellers that haven't had their first sale. Help them out, buy handmade.

Lolli - Fresh Friday

If you haven been following this blog for a while, you may recall that when I used post favorite Etsy finds on Fridays. I can't remember why I stopped posting Friday Favorites but I have decided to bring them back, with a twist. Now, I'll be highlighting Etsy sellers that have a great product, but haven't had a sale.

To kick things off let me introduce you to Lolli. According to the shop page, Lolli is "three friends and designers that love jewelry, and are dedicated to art and design... illustrations are done by a special ink process which transfers on to sterling silver pendants." I love the playfull designs and bright colors. If Beatrice were a little bit older I might have to purchase matching necklaces for us. In the mean time I'm thinking about ordering a little nesting doll necklace for myself.

Running Out of Excuses

Here I go again, apologizing for the recent lack of posts. I have so many projects on the verge of completion, and so many completed things I would like to share with you. Its just that a lot of my blogging time has been hi-jacked by another hobby, running.

After I had Elliot I got a wake up call. I was not living a healthy life. Not only was I unhappy with my weight, but I was frustrated by my lack of energy. I was on the same path as my father. He died of a heart attack when I was 17. I decided to do something to ensure that I would be able to stick around for my kids as long as possible, and through diet and exercise I lost almost 50 pounds. When I was pregnant with Beatrice I set a goal to run a half marathon after she was born. Which brings us back to the lack of posts. Training for a half marathon consumes a lot of time, especially for slow runners like me.

My training ended yesterday and the race is this weekend. I plan to keep running after the race, but probably won't be taking too many 1-2 hour long runs. With all that free time, I may even manage to post more than once a week.