Joining Amanda today with {this moment}.
(Oh, my. Those ears!)
Have a wonderful weekend, friends.
Love,
Rachel
Joining Amanda today with {this moment}.
(Oh, my. Those ears!)
Have a wonderful weekend, friends.
Love,
Rachel
Last night I was walking around my yard, scoping out where I can plant some of the starts we have all over our deck.
And wow, do we have a crop of nettle around this house. For real.
Lupine has taken to fencing some of it off with twigs and twine, so that we don't mow it down on accident.
Because yes, nettle is precious.
Even when it's growing through the cracks in your deck.
Sometimes it just comes down to how you look at it.
I could see weeds taking over my flower bed, or I could see dinner.
I could see a dirty dish towel to wrap them in.
Or I could see a towel from my hope chest, embroidered by my grandma when I was just a kid.
Life is like that, isn't it?
In one breath we look it all over and decide if we're going to laugh of cry. Get stung by those nettles or eat 'em up.
Or, maybe both.
Today I think I'll sift. Stop complaining. Count some blessings.
Because sure, my garden is a weed patch. But those weeds do taste fine.
The night before the storm in Oklahoma I could feel a frightening wind blowing through our valley. I pulled my children into bed with me because I couldn't sleep, an anxiety and fear wrapping around my heart.
I was worried about them being across the hall if a big wind came and tore our house apart.
Irrational? Perhaps. But also very real. Because on a base level, all that we want as parents is to keep our children safe.
And then the next day that unfathomable tornado tore apart so many lives.
And I can't stop thinking about Oklahoma.
Growing up in Wisconsin, I remember hiding in the locker room in the basement of my elementary school, terrified as a tornado passed somewhere close by. I remember a camping trip when a tornado crushed campers and tents all around us while we hid in the concrete shower building, crying and trembling.
We're so small. So vulnerable.
As Oklahoma will attest.
And I can't stop thinking about it.
Whenever I am stuck in a loop of grief and worry I search for any small way in which I can help.
And it occurred to me that the Herbal Apothecary I created when my friend had a fire at her farm might also serve an entirely different community.
Buy one copy or buy a dozen. It's up to you and how much you want to give. But know that every cent you give will be ease at least a bit the struggle of those on the ground.
And many (if not all) of these recipes are useful in spring, summer, and autumn as well. So you won't need to wait until the snow returns to use the recipes.
I'll email one PDF to each person ordering (not for each order placed, if that makes sense), and then your effort to bring healing to the people of Oklahoma can also bring healing to your own family in the coming months.
Because really, we are all one. One community. One family. One spirit.
And when we feel the most vulnerable and small is often when we find that indeed, we are strong and filled with grace.
Buy the Winter Apothocary here
Stay safe, friends.
Love,
Rachel
Yesterday Pete and I woke up to realize that it was our 13th wedding anniversay.
Add to that the six-years that we lived together first (what we refer to as the "living-in-sin" period) and we're somehow at 19 years of togetherness.
I can't imagine how that math is right, but yet, it is.
So at the last minute we called in to work and decided to spend the day together at home and in the woods, hunting morels.
The four of us. Together.
And though the day was up-and-down like any day is (with children. or adults.), it was the prefect representation of what the past 19 years have been all about.
Reaching for understanding rather than trying to be right.
Keeping our sense of humor when everything is going haywire.
Cultivating patience and love and taking care of each other.
Getting out into the world and seeking beauty all around us.
And all the while one of the readings from our quiet wedding in the woods kept going through my head.
Because all these years later, this is still what it's all about.
by
Wilferd A. Peterson
Happiness in marriage
is not something that just happens.
A good marriage must be created.
In marriage the little things are the big things.
It is never being too old to hold hands.
It is remembering to say "I love you" at least once a day.
It is never going to sleep angry.
It is at no time taking the other for granted;
the courtship should not end with the honeymoon,
it should continue through all the years.
It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.
It is standing together facing the world.
It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.
It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.
It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is not looking for perfection in each other.
It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of humour.
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.
It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal, dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.
It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner.
: : :
Sending prayers and blessings to Oklahoma today. Holding you in love and light.
Today.
May you find beauty in unexpected places.
May you laugh from deep in your soul.
May you feel love, kindness, and compassion - both within yourself and from others toward you.
May your day be blessed.
So much love,
Rachel
Like so many in the online crafting community, I was stunned to hear of the loss of pioneer and superstar Kathreen Ricketson this week. Kathreen and her partner Rob both lost thier lives while on a year-long unschooling and book-writing adventure across Austraila with their children.
I had the honor of working with Kathreen on several occasions and will attest to her inspiring spirit and contagious enthusiasm. Her work on both Whip-Up and Action Pack Magazine have inspired countless people. To say she will be missed is does not begin to touch the truth.
Kathreen and Rob were survived by their two magical children. A trust has been established for them because, well, because we need to help in some way - however small.
If you care to give, just click the button at right to donate. (Found at the bottom of my Sponsors list.)
If you want to go even further feel free to grab the button below to use on your own blog or website. Just copy and paste the HTML code where ever you need it.
Safe journeys, Kathreen and Rob. You'll be missed.
We can't help but notice.
We see it all around us. The apparent perfection in other people's lives.
It hurst our eyes. And our hearts.
We see their pretty houses or expansive yards.
Their harmonious families, or the children we still ache to have.
We notice their tidy family rooms and their spotless floors.
Their marriages.
Their budgets.
Their parenting.
Their everything.
And we compare.
And we fall short.
Again.
Yes. I've done it too.
I remember an appointment I had a few weeks postpartum with my second child.
I was still wearing some maternity clothes because, well, they fit.
My shirt was milk- and spit-up stained, baggy, and worn. I think I was wearing yoga (read: pajama) pants and big, sloppy winter boots. (Size elevens.)
I was greeted at my appointment by the smiling face of the most gorgeous, together woman I think I had ever seen.
I still remember her tall leather boots, wool tights, and denim skirt. She was so fashionable it made my teeth ache.
And I very nearly burst into tears.
Because suddenly I was not enough.
Enough "pretty." Enough "thin." Enough "together."
Enough to whom, I ask now, six years later?
To me.
Only to me.
And for that moment I ceased to see the beauty in my life, in my heart, and in myself.
I saw only what I was not doing "right".
I saw only my shadows.
And while I judged myself, I also judged her, secretly hating her for having it so together.
And we go on-line and it happens all over again.
On Pinterest, Facebook, the blogs we read.
Mixed with the love and appreciation we feel for the people we follow, we compare ourselves.
Because we see their apparent perfection.
And only our own flaws.
And we dislike them for having it together. And we dislike us for not.
We are inadequate.
We fall short.
Time and again.
(I've done it, too. I have.)
So I ask you this:
Does it serve you to compare?
Are you happier for it?
Does it make you a better person?
Does your heart soar when you compare or does it drag you under?
And what would happen if you stopped?
Would you see your own magic?
Could you see your life as beautiful?
Please.
Stop comparing.
Today.
Right now.
Know that everyone is blessed and everyone is flawed.
Stop searching for perfection in others and seeing only shortcomings in yourself.
You deserve so much more.
Because yes, you are imperfect.
And so am I.
And so is everyone.
You are also brilliantly you, shining a light like none other in all the world.
Only you can do that.
So instead of comparing yourself, simply be yourself.
With the wabi-sabi perfection of your every imperfection.
And then shine your light, sister.
Shine so bright.
As only you can do.
Love,
Rachel
P.S. You might also enjoy this post on why I share what I do on the blog (and omit what I do). An oldie-but-goodie.
First and foremost, wow.
And hello! Thank you for all of the love on the two parenting posts I shared this week. And welcome many new faces to this space. I'm honored to have you here.
It has been an unprecedented few days over here and I'm tickled to see how many of you are sticking around.
Now then. Back to business!
: : :
Our last hard frost of the season was just two days ago. But yesterday it was in the 80's, so I think Longest Winter I've Ever Imagined is over (goodbye, Narnia!). Therefore I'm making the transition to some seasonally appropriate projects in my sewing room and my knitting basket.
Yes, I am knitting myself a thick cowl neck sweater that I won't wear until January (I hope), but I also cast on and quickly cast off a sweet little summer dress for Lupine.
The yarn came from a thrift store for 69 cents a skein (there were two, which I held double), and the fabric was part a new purchase and part from my stash.
She's crazy about it.
And so am I. There is just something about seeing my kids wearing clothes that I have made for them. Yum. And when she wears the hat with the dress? Squeal! (This she did while we were foraging ramps this week. I'm not sure I could have been happier. Seriously. Mostly because of the foraging, but the mama-made clothes didn't hurt.)
My Ravelry details are over here if you need the pattern for your own quick little dress!
What is your favorite summer-friendly knitting project?
When I wrote this post last week so many of you got it. You really got it. But most of you probably did before you read it too.
Blogs are so often like that. We are taking to the people who are already there. Because that's why so many of you come here. It's familiar. It's reinforces what you already believe.
But one mama wrote something about that post that I couldn't shake.
She said,
Oh. Right.
That.
That reality of so very many parents in the world. Where it is safer indoors than out. Where there is no backdoor to throw open; no grass to run barefoot through. And even if there were, you wouldn't. You couldn't.
That.
And if this mama assumed I was writing with a picture in my head of kids living in safe, green neighborhoods, well... she was right.
That was humbling.
I didn't picture a child living in the inner city or on the fifth floor of an apartment building.
I didn't picture a child at school all day and at after-school care until seven.
I didn't picture so many of the stories that are reality for so many families.
I pictured my family. Here. In the country.
And I pictured the countless backyards devoid of children in neighborhoods where it is perfectly safe to venture out and play.
The more I sat with her comment the more I felt that what I said might have missed the point for some of you, simply because of the context.
So today I'm giving it another go. This time written more for those of you without a yard or other safe place to run free.
Because giving your kids just what they need does not require special tools or a fancy environment.
It doesn't! You can rock this gig anywhere. Yes, even in an apartment in a bad neighborhood. Even without extra cash. Even with little spare time.
So thank you, mama, for reminding me to think outside of my small green box. This post is for you.
Here is another take on giving kids what they need - no matter where you call home.
If you're going to go, go big. (See discomfort acknowledged in step 1. Ahem.)
Curb your own screen addiction and that of your child. I know. Media is easy. It's relaxing. (Sort of.) It's like a mini vacation.
But it's not the best way to spend your free time. Especially when you're a kid.
I've always taken a pretty radical stance on media for children. Turn off the screens and they will become more grounded, more imaginative, more present. And in that space life will bloom.
Nature can be found in big expanses of green or in a clay pot on your windowsill. Heck, nature can be found in a crack in the sidewalk it you just take time to lay on your belly and look.
Do one of the items on the list below, or do them all. It's up to you.
*Watch clouds drifting across the sky and imagine aloud the magic pictures they contain. You can even make cloud art with your child, painting with a teased apart cotton ball instead of a brush.
Pagans celebrate the turning of the seasons at eight points in the calender. At the start of each season and at the mid-point. You don't have to be Pagan to celebrate the turning of the year!
These celebrations can be as simple as making a season painting together at your kitchen table, gathering with friends to celebrate, or taking a walk on the same path to take note of the turning of the year.
Put these on your calendar as you would an important birthday. Make time to celebrate the turning seasons.
We thrifted a big stack of old nature magazines recently. With some scissors and a little diluted white glue we could spend all day at our kitchen table, creating collages on old boards and pieces of cardboard.
Stock a drawer or shelf with some basic, affordable art supplies and let art replace screen-time. You'll all be glad you did.
Supplies to keep on hand: watercolor paint, tempra paint, thick paper (watercolor or other painting paper is nice), white paper (we use regular office paper), colored pencils or markers, and a few jars of random extras - buttons, glitter, acorn caps, etc.
You'll find lots more tips over here.
This is a powerful act.
You can grow food in a big garden outside or right on your kitchen counter.
Sprout seeds in a mason jar or grow edible herbs in pots. Re-grow celery from a cut off stalk.
Growing and eating food is a wonderful lesson to empower us in our lives!
We tend to over-engage, over-schedule, and over-plan. Childhood is no exception. Let your kids have free time. Lots of it.
They don't need more activities. They need more undirected free time. (Yes, even if it's happening inside the walls of your flat.)
Give your kids a bucket of rocks to play with. Or their own bin of flour in the kitchen. Or some clay pots full of soil.
Fill the dishpan with soap bubbles and a pile of yogurt tubs and measuring cups. Stick them in the bathtub with a baking soda and vinegar.
Anything.
While my kids love playing mud kitchen, they also love what they call "potions". And this, friends, is like mud kitchen without the mud. And, um, indoors.
Potions involves vinegar, baking soda, beet juice, food coloring, stale spices, flour, water, cut grass, seeds, a mess of little jars and bowls... you get the idea.
Just let it flow and let it be and allow them to explore their world. Don't tell them what to do. Just let them go.
Clean-up can be epic, but it's worth the mess.
(We often do this in the tub.)
Okay, make it 11.
Know that life is imperfect. It's meant to be. There are lessons to be found in your less-than-ideal life, home, or schedule. Embrace the imperfection while you sift through for the magic within.
To live in a fifth story apartment means that when you do run barefoot through the grass it can be ecstasy. Even if it only happens once a year.
Love,
Rachel
After a long, dark spring the sun is shining once again.
To celebrate, I sewed a new sunhat for each of my kids last week.
Sage's is identical to the one I made for him when he was seven. (That boy knows what he likes!)
Lupine's is a spunky, patchwork incarnation of the same pattern.
To modify the pattern for Lupine that I originally designed for her brother, I mixed up the colors and added a narrow patchwork strip to the side.
The patchwork is my favorite small detail on this hat. It is a simple addition, but takes the hat to a different level of cuteness. I created it with scraps from her baby sling and several outfits I've sewn for her. It also allowed us to use a favorite but barely too-short fabric for the main hat piece.
She is thrilled with it and proudly announces what each fabric was from when she shows it off.
The hat is reversible and lined in a single print (from another mama-made outfit), so it's two hats in one!
Want to make your own? Of course! The pattern and instructions are below. I've simplified them a bit since I first shared this pattern, including PDF files that should be easier for you to print to scale.
Enjoy!
Rachel
Materials:
- Pattern - three pieces (below). To print, follow the instructions below.
- Outer fabric
- Lining fabric
- Timtex or other stiff interfacing for brim (I was out of Timtex so I used plastic cross-stitch template)
- Matching thread
All sewing was done with a 1/2 inch seam allowance. This is sized for my 6-8 year old. Adjust as needed to fit a younger or older child.
1. Print out pattern pieces.
To print, click on the PDF files below.
Save files to your desktop.
Open and print each file without scaling. (The Sunhat Crown should measure 7 3/8" across.)
2. Cut Fabric.
You will need to cut the following pieces:
Sunhat Band (No pattern piece. Rectangle 21.5" x 4")
Cut two (one lining, one outer fabric). This can be a sold fabric or pieced fabric as shown above.
To add a patchwork band as above, cut your main fabric rectangle 20" long. Sew a 2" wide patchwork band that is 4" tall. Join patchwork and main color and trim to size.
Sunhat Brim
Cut three (two outer fabric, one interfacing.) Note: When you cut out your paper pattern fold and cut so you have the entire 1/2 moon. I only copied down 1/2 of the pattern to make it fit on a single sheet.
Sunhat Crown
Cut two (one lining, one outer fabric)
3. Sew Brim
Cut interfacing brim down by 1/2 inch on all sides.
Sew outer curved edge of brim, right sides together.
Turn and press.
Insert interfacing and trim if needed to fit smoothly inside.
Top stitch outer curve through all layers to hold interfacing in place.
Sew Crown
Fold hat band so that the short ends line up (right sides together), creating a flattened cylinder. Sew.
Pin cylinder shape carefully to hat top (also right sides together). Sew.
Turn right side out and press.
Repeat with lining.
Pin brim to hat, centered opposite of back seam with top side of brim flat against front of hat (it will look like someone flipped the brim up, 1980's grade school style). If you added a patchwork detail, align this with the edge of the brim or however you like it best.
Sew into place and flip down. It should be starting to look like a hat now!
Press under 1/2" on bottom edge of hat and hat lining.
Insert hat lining into outer fabric hat and top stitch together very close to the edge.
You did it! Bravo, friend.