Friday, February 28, 2014

Friday, I'm in love....

Human consciousness! Habitual behavior! Compulsion! Addiction! What's not to love?

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

New!

Hey, weekend homesteader! (You know who you are.) Whether you're making your own soap, cheese, preserves, or dinner — this simple apron will serve you well. Attractive, eco-friendly, and? Keeps the jam off your trousers. Four colors in the shop now!




Tuesday, February 25, 2014

On the farm.

The plum tree has one blossom! I'm thinking of plum jam, but so far - it's just a stick with one flower on it.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Around here....

Around here, the meanest mom in the world made her kids pull out about thirty-sevendy-thousand-gobfillion of these.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Around here....

There was a bit of everything around here last week - sun and rain, loud music, incomplete homework, family time, too much candy. Burning the candle at both ends....





Friday, February 14, 2014

Friday, I'm in love....

With Thug Kitchen. Please know, before you click that link, that you may not also love it unless you love food and the f-word as much as I do. Just sayin.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

The Materials.

The world of textiles is an imperfect one, filled with imperfect choices - so I thought I'd tell you about some of the fabrics I'm using and why. Fascinating, right?
This is hemp. Not that kind. This particular hemp fabric is one of my favorites. It hasn't been bleached or dyed, that's the natural color. At 11 ounces, it feels like an upholstery-weight linen and it's perfect for bags. Super-strong, rugged and soft.
The upside: Hemp is an extremely fast growing crop, producing more fiber yield per acre than any other source. (Fewer resources used.) It is commonly grown without the use of pesticides and herbicides.
The downside: Though industrial hemp is a different variety of Cannabis Satvia from marijuana, is cultivated differently, and has a low THC level, it's currently illegal to grow it in the United States. I source this fabric from a small American importer with factories in China, Romania, and Canada. My supplier has a deep knowledge of hemp production, engages in free and fair trade, and answers his own phone.
So there you have it - imperfect, but better than most choices.



Tuesday, February 11, 2014

On the farm.

I cut down the grass around the secret nest for the winter, but somebody is still laying there.

Monday, February 10, 2014

Around here....

Around here we are doing a massive fifth-grade-style science project. I usually over-help on the academic projects and get way too invested in their success. More so than the actual student. (We got an A-minus? But, why?)
But not this time. This was going to be different. Growing up. Independence. Personal responsibility and whatnot. And then? I built this really bad-ass paper plane launcher and now I'm all in.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Nine.

This little princeling is nine today. Any and all requests for action or cessation of action on his part will be met with the same response:
"But, I don't want to." And - in his brain - that seems completely relevant in all circumstances. Not just relevant, but of paramount importance, eclipsing any other possible factors. Other possible factors cannot be detected by his senses and do not exist, have never existed, may as well not even exist at this school.
I know - prefrontal cortex not fully developed - but. Dude.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Workroom glimpse.

I refilled the shop with Heart Garlands - order by Friday (2/7) for Valentine's Day delivery!

Monday, February 3, 2014

Around here....


Around here it's all about horses, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and six more weeks of winter.