my new toy

i have a new toy named diana.

diana f+
source: lomography.com

she is kind of old-fashioned and mysterious.

i'm waiting to get some b&w film back. i'll keep you posted on how it turns out. if any of you lomographers have some advice for me, i'm all ears.

isaiah's first christmas

anticipation

a walk

celebration

music

tissue paper

ribbon

"have ribbon, will travel."

a convenient, home-made pouch

cousins, discussing duplo v. bristle blocks

weekend report

isaiah has been enjoying this toy, which he uses to walk around the house. it is absolutely frightening.

saturday afternoon, my music students performed in their first recital. it was quite inspirational.

we also enjoyed a family gathering...

...during which we ate way. too. much. of this amazing cake.

there are a couple of last-minute things i'd like to do before christmas -- one of which is to sew some stockings. (i think i've found the sweater for it, shiloh!) i'll keep you posted on that, but i'm not going to sweat it if it doesn't get done this year.

jamie & i are very much looking forward to exchanging home-made presents for each other on christmas eve. this little ritual has become a cherished tradition. the hardest part is keeping the presents a secret, but it's definitely worth the wait. do you have slightly quirky christmas tradition?

smallwoods stocking stuffers and gift ideas

a short list of items i love, items i want, and items i think others would want and love.

personal library kit - $16.95
so the book-lover in your life can keep track of who's borrowing what... and making sure they return it on time.

burt's bee's lip shimmer - $5.00
i've always loved burt's bees products, but their lip shimmer's got it all -- great color, lasting shine, and soothing peppermint oil.

200 notecards & envelopes - $9.99
an amazing value. the cardstock is the perfect size for attaching a 3.5" x 5" picture on the front; and room enough to jot your greeting on the back.

christmas spice tea - $13.99
a loose-leaf holiday tea. if you're in the birmingham area, stop by koko bubble tea and ask for the $3.99 sample size.

wonder bear - $12.23
a lovely picture book, to encourage playful imagination.

envirosax reusable tote - $8.50
there are lots of reusable totes out there, but i absolutely love this one -- it easily rolls up and snaps closed. i always have it in my purse.

cavallini animals stamp set - $20.50
drool-worthy, vintage-illustrated stamps -- a set of 14 to be exact, including ink pad and lovely tin. a great way to decorate aforementioned cards.

chalkboard spray paint - $4.99
a world of possibilities.

weekend report

it was a rainy weekend.

saturday, we stayed in our pajamas all day and watched a movie during the afternoon. (the incredibles -- boo's pick.) it was pretty much a perfect day.

table confetti

sunday had us jumping from one thing to another from morning 'til night. busy, but enjoyable.

a sale

today has been somewhere in-between. i hope your week is off to a great start.

the mousey diner's buttery oatmeal raisin cookies

jamie and i tried a new oatmeal raisin cookie recipe. if you've been reading this blog awhile, then you know that we love some oatmeal raisin cookies.

"vanishing" oatmeal raisin cookies

the recipe we tried this time came straight off the bottom of the quaker oats box (thanks, mom!). they are richer and more buttery than the other ones we usually make. jamie prefers our stand-by recipe, but i was in the mood for a buttery cookie, so these hit the spot. and with christmas tea? perfect.

have a great weekend!

smallwoods cinema (mini review): the trial

last weekend, jamie & i watched a movie called the trial (1962). you'd think with orson welles directing anthony perkins, it'd be great. and apparently it has gotten good reviews. but we were pretty disappointed.

first edition of kafka's book, the trial (1925)
source: wikipedia

it's an adaptation of franz kafka's existential novel from 1925. the storyline actually grabbed my attention in the beginning, but it just dragged along from there -- never offering a moment of relief from all the tension.

the symbolism got old after a while, too: the trial, the accused, the mystery of the crime, the advocate, and the whole perverted judicial system. the message was pretty depressing.

bottom line: meh, don't bother!

featured

i'm positively flattered that my turtledove ornaments are featured in this etsy treasury today!

two turtledoves

the treasury theme is the twelve days of christmas -- stop by to see all the lovely items!

weekend report

it's really starting to feel like christmas around here. this weekend, we decorated our tiny tree and hung some lights and garland on the mantle. most of the shopping is done, which is a good feeling.

wall-E ornament = satisfying object for teething

i've never been happy with our stockings from the dollar store, so i've resolved to sew some this year. i haven't decided on the fabric yet. any suggestions? i have, however, decided that i want to make a tablecloth for our tiny table with this ikea fabric:

charcoal grey and mustard yellow

in other news, isaiah can't shake the stuffy nose. he had a slight fever today and was generally acting spacey. i also noticed that he had a small bruise under one of his eyes. must have bumped it somewhere along the way. then, sunday afternoon as he was getting ready to take his bath, he knocked his chin on the side of the tub while we were taking his little shirt off. in the process, he bit his lip. it was the saddest sight! his very first little accident with a bit of blood and everything. thankfully, it was nothing a little nursing wouldn't solve.

see? he's okay.

in other isaiah news, the little guy loves to clap. we're also trying to teach him the sign for "more," which is kind of like clapping with your fingers and thumbs together. i'm not sure he understands the difference. but both activities make him very happy, and it's cute all the same.

DIY gift idea: photo calendar

i've found that giving home-made gifts can be tricky. maybe you've been there with me. you want the gift to be lovely. it was only going to take an hour or two, but it turns into a week-long labor of love. you should be in bed, but you're squinty-eyed, hunched over the project, allllmost finished. you look up and realize your living room has been taken over by crafting chaos. and when the gift is given, you secretly kinda feel like, well, maybe, it's slightly... under-appreciated. sometimes the process leaves me exhausted and wishing i had just bought something pre-packaged.

all that to say: i absolutely love finding ideas for home-made gifts that are, 1. not fussy, 2. meaningful, and -- if possible -- 3. practical. as a sentimentalist, number three is not a necessity for me. but i think a lot of people really appreciate a gift they can put to use, no?

illustrated calendar
source: etsy.com/shop/floradouville

so, inspired by this lovely little illustrated calendar, one DIY gift this year is a home-made photo calendar. to me, the sentimental content of the photos make up for the project's lack of originality. each photo corresponds to the date it is used and was taken the year before. so, for example, i started with isaiah's birth in january of last year, and the calendar kind of documents how he has grown up to now. so, this idea could easily be used for experiences a family, best friends, or a couple, etc. the hardest part is picking only 12 photos.

supplies

you'll need: a calendar, 12 photos, zots (or photo tape) -- and if you're making your own calendar: a hole punch, ribbon, and scissors.

geek note: i made a calendar in photoshop, typing out the numerical calendar and then stretching it out the text using ctrl-t. each page is 7" x 11" so that i could use 4" x 6" photos either horizontally or vertically.

isaiah michigan

cheers!

parcels

i love snail mail. i'm sending a handful of parcels today -- some etsy orders, some giveaways...

snowy baby hoot

one parcel is my end of an art swap. i'm really excited about receiving some original art in return for a baby hoot and a print. if anyone reading is interested in swapping arts & crafts, let me know.

also: stay tuned for a simple DIY gift idea later in the week.

happy december 1st!