inspiration and a celebration giveaway

There is nothing like blooming flowers, warm sunshine, lovely fabric, and a new book or two to give me the inspirational boost that I need to get back into the sewing groove. What books? you ask. Well, I finally used part of my Christmas gift card and purchased the book One Yard Wonders.A feast for the eyes, this one. So far I've just been reading, planning, dreaming. This is going to be a great stash busting book for me. I have a lot of fabric that is about a yard or so. There are patterns for practical things, functional things, decorative items, kids stuff-like clothes and toys, pet pampering things, and clothing patterns for me...like skirts and tops-which is perfect for the upcoming Spring Top Week! So yes, it's time to dive into the stash.
The other book I am going to get (it was out of stock) is called Organic Body Care Recipes. I've checked it out from the library a gazillion times. I am really trying to use more natural products, not only to rid my house of unnecessary chemicals but also to heal and nourish my little ones with sensitive skin. It has so many great, natural, easy-to-make recipes for things like hand cream, lip balm, shampoo, and more. Some of the recipes have a plethora of fancy ingredients but most use common items that when combined are wonderful for your skin.
Now on to the celebration part. This is my 400th post!!! Woohoo! To celebrate I thought I'd have a little giveaway...and even perhaps share a little crafty inspiration. I picked up a book a while back. It's a great little book full of fun knitting patterns called New Knits on the Block. News Flash...I'm a novice knitter so just reading the instructions makes my brain hurt. I would hate for this book to just sit around collecting dust, feeling unloved. It's brand new and could use a new home where it will be loved. That's where you come in. It's yours to win if you just leave a comment on this post. I'll pick and post a winner on St. Patrick's Day, March 17th. So, good luck, happy spring, and share the love! xo ANG

handmade book exchange

A while back I signed the girls up for the Handmade Book Exchange hosted by Annie of Bird and Little Bird. Since drawing and storytelling go hand in hand I thought this was the perfect snowed-in-again-so-let's-get-those-creative-juices-flowing solution to the days when we've had more than enough time playing in the snow. Each day there were new ideas discussed, pictures drawn and colored, and story lines revised. I am happy to announce that the books are finished and in the mail to our Handmade Book Exchange partners in Oregon. Here's a peek at the books with the very proud author/illustrators!

Of course, both girls spent time enjoying each other's books as well as their own before we mailed them off to their new owners. Now the excitement is building as they wait for the books being mailed to them.

***before I could even hit the publish button their Handmade Book Exchange books came in the mail!***

The books arrived! The excitement was almost uncontainable! The package was snatched from my hand and paraded around the house! Once I opened the envelope the books were read and reread.

The pictures were admired and studied and discussed. Then they traded and did the same thing. What fun! Perfect for a cold, wintry day. A grand idea...and the start of a grand, little, bookmaking factory...right here at the Clothesline. I think next we'll try Regina's book idea because I love it...er, I mean, they love it! :o) happy wednesday xo ang

old germs, new books

Hey there! We're still alive and kickin' here at the Clothesline. Tim is on the mend and for now the girls and I are still healthy. It's amazing that the old germs from Tim didn't spread and multiply in our house. Lots of prayer and Lysol and hand sanitizer...a miracle, really. It's been a long, hard, tiring week and I wasn't even the one who was sick. Tim hasn't had as much as a cold in over a year so to be out of commission for a whole week is bizarre and stressful. Add on top of that 3-4 days of cold, cloudy, rainy flood conditions and you've got some serious cabin fever.

(flip-flop clad girls trying to feed the cat some grass through the screen, happy laundry, seriously white leg with fall leaves and blooming lavender)

Thankfully we've had our air purifier going the whole time. It helps, it really does. Also, Friday afternoon, all day yesterday, and all day today we have had some warm sunshine. Oh man, there's nothing like fresh air and warmer temperatures to make everyone feel a little better.
So, now on to some new books. New from the library, that is. Let me just say that reserving books online and being able to just walk in and pick them up without having to search the entire library for them is soooooo great! Keep in mind the "if you think I'm weird, just say so" posts when you see my selections. First up, crochet and knitting books. I'm feeling a little more confident in my crocheting now...probably because I feel so inept at knitting, but whatever. I am enjoying knitting a lot but I am still so new at it that I really don't have any skills to speak of yet. That doesn't stop me from looking at projects and patterns though. One day I'll be able to create something wearable (besides a scarf or hat) out of some scrumptious yarn.

Next up...some bee keeping books. Remember when we got to meet a beekeeper a while back? Well, we'd been interested in the idea of having our own honey for a while and talking to an actual bee keeper with tons of experience just fanned that flame. Don't get me wrong, I still don't like bees around me, but I think I'll get over it eventually. After all, I have grown. I don't scream like a girl and run anymore when they fly around me...I just move quickly and quietly. Tim will be the one in the suit smoking out the bees anyway. I'll just be a helper. One day, when we have some land, or at least don't live in the city, we'll have a hive or two. So to be prepared I thought I'd read up on all the details. I like to have a game plan so when the time is right the decision making will be easier and based on well researched knowledge. I know, weird.

Last but not least, some animal books. There is so much that I need to know before I actually own chickens or goats. So to prepare myself for that undertaking (which I know is off in the future..but still) I found these great books. Since I took this picture I have gotten a few more books...one about raising dairy goats and one on building different types of animal housing. What? Animals need housing and if there isn't a barn or something then why not already have the knowledge to building something? Go ahead...just say it....weird.

Anyway, there are so many choices when it comes to goats and chickens. Who knew? Okay, lots of people probably, but now I know, too. Let me just say, there are some pretty chickens out there but the pretty ones aren't always the best layers...which is what we want. The girls have been enjoying looking at all the chickens and choosing their favorites. There are also some adorable ducks in there, too. Maybe if we have a pond one day. We've decided that there's really no need for an ostrich though, but the eggs are huge! Yes, we had fun with the poultry book. Goats, that's another story. There are several types that are good milkers, but a calm, friendly type would be perfect. The book about raising dairy goats is really much more helpful with that decision.

What can I say, I like to be informed and prepared. So what if it makes me a little weird. Okay, a lot weird. But when you've got days and days of rain it's nice to have books to look through and build dreams upon.

How about you? Any big dreams out there? Happy, healthy Sunday! xo ANG

sweet!

I finally received and barely managed to get a picture of my prize apple. Remember I won it when Rebekah was having a giveaway? Well, it was devoured in a jiffy...every single chocolaty, caramel-y bite. Sweet!

As halloween grew closer I tried to get the girls to commit to a costume idea. There was a lot of wishy-washiness going on and I wanted to make sure that I would have enough sewing/crafting time to create the costume of their choice. Their decision?...a ballerina and a princess. They plundered the dress-up box and were thrilled with their choices. My only duty was to get the hair to be just right! Sweet!

Fall festivals and pumpkin patches are always fun. Pumpkins were painted, friends were played with, new slides were enjoyed, and the day was sunny and warm. Sweet!

After a few weeks of thinking that the leaves would just turn brown and fall from the trees there are finally some beautiful colors to enjoy. I don't like the weather getting cooler...if you know me then you know I prefer the heat...but seeing everything so beautiful this time of year makes it all worth it. And besides, it was in the 70's yesterday! Sweet!

I am making progress in my knitting. My brain doesn't hurt nearly as much now. The only thing that I don't like is that I'm a bit of a perfectionist and when I make a mistake I can't just pull out a few stitches to fix it...I have to pull out the whole thing. So far it's just been some practice swatches...no real projects. Crocheting, on the other hand, still comes easier to me and when I make a mistake in that, well, I just pull out the stitches to the mistake then keep on truckin'. Sweet! In all of my weirdness about farms and chickens and goats I have discovered the most wonderful of books...Backyard Homestead. It is a wealth of information and inspiration. A starting point, the beginning of real thoughts and plans and dreams. Sweet! That about sums up what we've been doing. I can't believe it's Friday again. The weeks are just flying by so fast. Thanksgiving will be here soon, and before we know it Christmas will arrive. I haven't made a dent in my list yet, but there's still time, right? Besides, we get to turn the clocks back tomorrow night and get an extra hour of sleep...sweet!

my first swap, school, and a stack of books

I have always been intrigued by the idea of a swap. There are a lot of swaps in the blogging community. There are apron swaps, book swaps, craft swaps...well, you get the idea. Well, Adrienne at Some of a Kind decided to host a Thankful Things Swap. I just couldn't resist...I tried, but it didn't work. The purpose behind this swap is to gather some tangible things that I am thankful for and mail them to my swap partner, and she'll do the same thing. Exciting! I know! There is a little more time left before the deadline and my stash is nearly gathered and ready to mail...but I received the swap box from my partner already! Yippee! Oh, there were so many things crammed in the box like...an oven mitt stuffed with recipes that I can't wait to try, a journal, some book beads, fuzzy, warm socks, a stash of fabric, beads, and ribbon, a pumice brush for beautiful feet, birthday party coasters, clever and cute recycled envelopes made from magazines, a beauty of a bird ornament, and a couple of pinwheels which the girls quickly claimed! Oh, Thank you Emily! I am enjoying ALL of thankful things! I assure you, you're swap box will be in the mail very soon!


Now for the school stuff. The girls have been doing very well with their school work. Miss O is a hard worker. She's like a sponge I tell you...always reading, remembering just about all of the details, and sharing what she has learned with anyone who will listen. Oh, I love her sweet spirit. Now, Miss E is still 3 years old but is eager to do school work, too. I've been finding great preschool things for her to do...like working on opposites, counting, letters, using lacing cards...but there's one thing that she has been waiting for...SCISSORS! I have always been hesitant to let her have her way with scissors. She's very energetic and carefree...and I've seen bad haircuts and heard horror stories...I just wasn't ready. Well, yesterday was the day. She got to use scissors for the first time. She did a great job. She concentrated and focused and furrowed her brow with serious dedication to the task at hand.

Okay, now the stack of books. Last week at the library I actually found quite a few books for my own personal enjoyment. Don't get me wrong, I always enjoy the books that I choose for the girls, but these...oh, such good finds, such yummy recipes, such fun sewing patterns, and oh, the story of Annie Londonderry...I am really enjoying that one! Read anything good lately?