Tuesday, July 31, 2012

baby's breath






little bits set about making this yesterday morning, when i woke to it on the floor it felt like a gathering...all are waiting for dear baby to arrive!

found this too among the play things, love the little felt fire warming wee bebe in cradle!

in a summer full of swimming at the lake, lessons at the pool, picking strawberries, raspberries and pea beans...in a summer full of camp at our house, teepee making, fairy house making, crown making...
in a summer full of papas days, papa at the farm from dawn to dusk, making and canning everything he brings home...
we are finally finding our rhythm and finding it's time to slow down.
baby is coming soon. the room is ready.
we are ready.
little bits has done a lot of *growing* this summer and is so proud to be a big sister.
the things i stop to notice today:
summer slows, even the chickens walk slower-pecking so gingerly.
the kittens are lazy and sleeping all day.
the breeze is more gentle, carrying the scent of the woods nearby.
little bits sings more and plays for long stretches by herself - making up the most beautiful stories to my ears..
and this mama is prone to napping at any time she can.
all the packages are sent, sweet steph my mosey partner in craft is sewing away, ms. toki my morning glory garden co-teacher is busy making plans for fall...
and me, i need to just breath. to rest up for all that this little baby boy has in store for us.
come fall, peacefully.

Monday, July 30, 2012

my girl's style; flashy with a chance of wings


especially if there might be "berskittos" outside, little bits is convinced she'll need her wings to battle the  bad bugs! i think it works!
xo

Sunday, July 29, 2012

{baby nest} : nesting

{little bits gets a new nest too}

{loving this handmade blanket from a dear friend}

{and some favorites from finns & flowers}

{mama's first toys, now in baby's room}

{pinecone gnome teether!}

{little bits graciously gave up some of her first toys for her baby brother}

{to the moon* & back, of course} 



wee baby is fast approaching this earth.  and as of yesterday he is weighing in at 7 lbs. 8 oz. already with weeks and weeks to go before he is born. our big boy will take after his sister, it looks like, who weighed almost 10 lbs at birth! 
this weekend the mister's parents arrived for a visit and to help assemble furniture (oh ikea) and get all the little baby things washed up and put away. my mother in law also dove right into the project (and it really was a project) of sorting thru all little bits clothes, hanging what needed to be hung up and folding what needed folding and putting away.
i said goodbye to some of her things, hoping another little girl would enjoy them and packed away some favorites i just couldn't bring myself to part with...
sigh
breath 
there is something about *getting* the baby's room ready that just helps it sink in. when we were getting ready for little bits i was like 6 mo along and her nursery was ready to go! 
with second baby i just now had the time and help to get it all ready. it feels so good, dear readers, and i think this very pregnant mama will sleep better tonight knowing if baby comes at any moment from here on out...we are ready! all systems go!



p.s. done with mucho thanks to the in laws and steph who helped pave the way to clean closets around here!


Saturday, July 28, 2012

Fairy Food: Katie's Beet Choco Cookies









these are the kids jumping for joy.
for what you may ask?
fairy cookies!
made pink and scrumptious by adding beet puree ~ they really do taste delicious!
it's rare in our house that we get to have things that contain bright food colorings, yes we do give in on popsicles but other that that we don't have too many pink foods!
so it is pretty exciting!
and of course naming them fairy cookies always makes it that much better!
~FAIRY COOKIES~

  • 3/4 cup flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill gluten free baking mix)
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup Stevia Baking Blend (or regular sugar)
  • 60 grams pureed beets (about 1/4 cup)
  • 1 T canola oil
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 square bakers chocolate, melted OR 1/4 cup chocolate chips
This great recipe come courtesy of katie!
{although we chose to add our choco chips directly into the mix rather than make choco frosting}


Friday, July 27, 2012

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Tasty Thursday: Waldorf Apple Birthday Cake!


I think the origianl recipe comes from the Three Rivers Waldorf School.

It's a wonderful recipe and easy enough that even the young children can do all the mixing themselves. although i handled the 1 CUP of pure maple syrup...you heard that right...ONE CUP...can you see how good this recipe is already!
you can bake in just about any size or shape of pan, although i prefer the bundt version...there is something a bit more festive about it's sweet shape to me.
the recipe is as follows (and it's eggless to for those with allergies)

{apple birthday cake ring}1 cup oil
1 cup maple syrup
1 2/3 cups apple sauce
4 tsp cinnamon

Mix above ingredients together

3 cups flour or redmill gluten free flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

mix above ingredients well and add to first mixture
bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes in a circle pan. we love to serve our birthday cake with homemade whipped cream and fruit...this time we had blueberries the family had picked in the summer and frozen for an year round treat...yum!

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

kite making with children

on of my favorite memories from being a kid was flying kites with my dad. he wasn't a master kite maker (although he is generally the kind of guy who can pick up and DO anything) but he did love to fly. we mostly flew those crazy eyed bat kits, dad said they were just the same when he was a kid. his dad would give him 10 cents and he'd walk to the drugstore and buy a crazy eyeball bat kite and go fly it. so that's just what we did.
there was always a hill by some water with a good wind, and dad would know where to find it.
we moved around a lot as kids, and lived in a vw bus while we built our house in maine, but always there was a corner store with a bat kite. wings shiny, bat eyes red and crazy!
when i was in college i built some pretty neat kites and my husband to be (at the time) his grandfather was a real paper kite maker. his art inspired me to make a love letter kite for my husband, and i swear that's how i won him over!
working with children now, i've done some pretty cool kite projects. tyvek is an easy to find, light weigh kite material that holds up for kids a little better. especially if the children want to paint or color the kite.
here is what you need to get started:
about a yard of tyvek per kite
markers or crayons
a good stick
and kite string
wooden dowels 1/8 inch thick
box cutter or good sharp knife ( to be used and wielded by the adult of course~)
fabric scraps

i wouldn't substitute *kite string* for anything else, and it can generally be found at any art supply or hardware store

i like the good old fashioned kite shape, but you could adapt yours anyway you'd like.
make a "t" cross and cut your dowels to fit.
cut your tyvek leaving 2 inches "seam allowance"
when working with kids, we actually use clear tape to fold over the tyvek and secure it to the kite frame
i always fly my kites with a tale, honestly it makes a BIG difference! we make ours by taking a  strip of scrap cotton and then tying some bows along the tail
you can attach kite tale with tape too







wrap about 15 feet of kite string around your branch
then tie your kite string where the cross of the dowels meets and you are ready to go!



Tuesday, July 24, 2012

in the name of three

crowns for some very special triplets this week who are celebrating their 1st birthdays!

{on the hoop} this week: boys vs. girls

this week we bring you:
blue owl
circus pinwheel
original bird *e*
original bird *elinor*

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Market Finds {Flea & Farm}




If you haven't been to midcoast Maine, you might not know...We have the BEST open air markets. From Flea Markets chock full of fairly affordable antiques to Farmer's Markets overflowing with the freshest most beautiful looking produce!
If you travel north be sure to hit the Belfast Farmer's Market on Fridays at Waterfall Arts and Saturdays at the Reny's Plaza, and almost any Flea Market on Rt. 1 between Belfast and Bucksport is sure to hold a treasure for you!!!!

Saturday, July 21, 2012

summer food




we are so lucky here to have farm fresh veggies almost every day! since the mister works on a farm we get to enjoy the bounty. peas and string beans have been a favorite this summer! made with pasta salad, a great way to cool down. what are you enjoying from farm or garden this summer?

Friday, July 20, 2012

{be my tugboat captain}



Can I just say my guy has been rockin' it! He has been a total house-papa rock star.
Laundry, yep! Dishes, yep! Taking care of chickens, Oh you bet!
He teaches during the year and works on a Farm in the summers, he sometimes leaves the house at 5 am and doesn't get home until 7 or 7:30- and he still manages to cook & clean!
Being this pregnant and having such a busy summer schedule I really couldn't have done any of it ...
without him. I think he knows how much I appreciate every last little bit, but just in case ~
Thank you Alexander, for being such a great Papa and Husband!