If You Love Pinkeeps

Then you simply must go check out my Sister's new venture, Where Sisters Gather. I have added her link permanently to my sidebar. Here is a sampling of her wares:



She has quite a few vintage inspired Christmas items available too. Tell her I sent you!

Custom Christmas

I had the privelege of creating these silhouettes for an etsy customer. She is giving them to her husband for Christmas... SHHHHHHH!

I blurred their info for their privacy, but at the bottom of each was cut their birthdate and name. I'm so happy with how they turned out.

We Are Thankful

And family is at the very top of the list!

Two New Treasures

When a dear friend of mine recently found that this book was going to be destroyed, she rescued it for me, thinking the kids would enjoy it. Little did she know that I would keep it for myself! I absolutely LOVE this book. Published in 1946, it is full of little stories about farm life. It is so sweet and simple and full of charm. And despite how much thought and effort she put into gathering some other items for my birthday gift, I have to confess that it is my favorite. :)

And to commemorate 10 years from the day we met, my Sister-in-Love gave me this adorable little medallion:

It is actually the broken lid from a vintage metal jewelry box, but with that bit of vintage tatting added, it makes a perfect little wall-hanging.

Two cherished treasures from two cherished people. Two more items to add to my sentimental journey...

Morning Giggles

Quite often these days, I awaken to the sound of giggles. This is definitely an improvement over the previous 10 months of waking to the sound of crying. And when I go to Katie's room, this is often what I see:

Big brother Jack absolutely LOVES to load Katie's crib with any and every toy in sight. Some mornings, such as this one, she can hardly move, its so crowded in there!

Hence, the giggles.

Some Things You Might Not Know About Me

Recently, I was tagged by Ginger in a game that I'm only going to half-way participate in! I love these blog games, but am in such a time crunch these days, and trying to spend more time with my kids and less time on-line, so I am going to share 6 random things about myself, but I'm not going to tag anyone else. *sorry* But, feel free to take the game and re-start it on your own blog if you want!

Okay, here goes...

1. I think raisins are a waste of a good grape.
2. I love windy days- they make me feel adventurous.
3. My left thumb is double-jointed.
4. I like going to movies by myself (but haven't had the pleasure for about 10 years).
5. Although I love to cook, I avoid actually touching raw meat if at all possible, therefore I am pretty handy with kitchen tongs and spatulas!
6. When I was about 5, I wanted a new pair of slippers so bad that I made some for myself out of newspaper and tape.

Little Nacho Thief

Saturday night we were sitting in the living room eating nachos for dinner... It didn't take Katie long to belly up to the Daddy bar for a little mooching!

Busy Beavers, Indeed!

Here are some updated photos of the beaver pond and dam. With the rains we have been getting lately, the water is up to the top of the dam and pouring over the other side. All of the fallen leaves have sunk to the bottom, so the water surface area is much easier to see in these photos. They are still actively working on the large dam and several smaller dams. We are still looking forward to watching how our creek bottom get transformed over the coming months.

Tools of the Trade

Scissors, knife and cutting mat are essential to the art of paper cutting, but none of it would happen without coffee and Burt's Bees lip balm!

Don't you just love my new favorite coffee mug? It was an early birthday present.

Auntie Jo the Vampire

So we did make the trip down to meet baby Beniah. It was a two hour drive each way, and the kids weren't too thrilled about so much time in the car, but getting to hold that tiny baby boy was a sweet treat.

Auntie Jo kept Katie occupied while I held the baby...

Jack's apple juice managed to stay un-spilt...

And here is the proof that Joann is a vampire:

Oh, I DO Love to Tease...

I am going to be FIRM on this one, people. It really is just a teaser! I will be reserving the pattern to include in my Christmas 2009 booklet, but I thought I'd let you get a sneak peek anyway...

The finished piece may or may not be offered for sale on ebay next week. I'll decide once I'm done if I have to keep it for myself or not. :)

2008 Family Christmas Photo Rejects

Candid moment:

For once Jack is paying attention and smiling, but the rest of the family? Not so much.

Who looks like who?

And the horse makes 5...


Once again, the photos were taken by my very talented little sister Joann. If you live in the area and need some photos taken, I would be happy to hook you up!

A New Whittaker

My baby brother (I can say that, because he is 10 years younger than me) has a baby!

Beniah Mark Whittaker was born by Cesearean at 5:20 this morning. He weighed 9 pounds, 5.8 ounces, and was 21.5 inches long. His poor Mommy (poor Daddy too)was in labor for 2 days! But now he is here, and cute as a bug.

Jack and Katie will get to take the 2 hour drive tomorrow afternoon to meet their newest Cousin. I'm sure that there will be a few more photos to share from that cute little convention. :)

Another Farmgirl in the Making

Katie has any number of fuzzy, stuffed, and girly toys to play with. And what are her favorite toys? Her brother's John Deere tractors, of course!

Introducing...

Jack the Dog. The result of my first custom pet silhouette order through my etsy store. Don't you just love all of his crazy curls?

He was a bit of a challenge, not just because of his curly hair, but because he was sitting down and looked like a fuzzy blob... until I decided to cut the outline of his foot and hiney into the base.

He is currently flying across the US on the way to his new home. Jack is an elderly dog, and my hope is that the cutting truly represents his character, and will be a happy reminder of his personality for years to come.

Brilliant

My Son Xeru

"Wook, Mama! I Selled my NAME!"

And while I'm in here blogging, let me show you a THING OF BEAUTY...

After suffering with my leaky old coffee maker with a no-longer-functioning burner for far too long, we are now the proud owners of a Technivorm Moccamaster!

A Partrige, A Pare, and a Turteldove

A quick finish... all ready for its moment in the spotlight.


Because its so small, I hadn't planned on printing the chart in my regular format for sale as a pattern. I was actually considering setting it aside for use in a Christmas booklet for 2009.

BUT... since a few of you have already asked for it, I will gladly make it available as an e-pattern. In a Word document or .jpg, whichever you prefer, and it can be yours for $5.

Send me an email or leave a comment with your contact information if you are interested!


And I just have to share a little Something Silly with you... A few months ago, at my local thrift store, I found this:

I had NO CLUE what I was going to do with it, but I simply couldn't leave it there. Then, one day, while browsing etsy, I stumbled across these:

And I instantly knew exactly what that bird cage would be used for. So I set out and found a few more pieces for my little puzzle, and WALLA... "The Gathering"...




Yes, I know, it is a complete departure from my usual style, but it sure was fun!

Where I Found Him

All hunkered down, watching Word World; I thought he was being awfully quiet!

I Probably Shouldn't Share This Photo...

but it has been a constant source of giggling for me (and my little sis, Joann) for the last two months. All I have to do is THINK about that night and the giggles come bubbling forth.

Please, my dear friends, never let yourself become too old to have a little frolicksome fun.

Stitching Again

I'm working on a little Christmas pinkeep and thought I'd let you take a peek:

What I Keep Thinking About

An hour or two with no sound entering my ears but Rostropovich's cello.

A glass of Merlot.

And these:

My Little Republicans

It really wasn't premeditated.

I've been waiting for that first truly cold, damp day for my Baby Girl to wear her little hat, the one with the circus elephants and Elvish point, you know, the one that her Auntie wore when she was a baby. Its really adorable. And also happens to be red, white and blue with Elephants. Hm. And we were heading to town to vote. Double Hm.

Being a bit of a Conservative in a state that never fails to show up blue on the US map come election day sometimes makes it seem pointless to vote at all. But I am so proud of my free right to vote my opinion and conscience that it really doesn't matter as much to me what the outcome is, so long as I have made my voice heard. That is the beauty of the America that I love. So many different opinions, and we get to have a vote.

And I love the state of Oregon, despite... and probably also because of... its more liberal bent. We are Pioneers, after all. Mavericks, even!

So, as I laughingly realized that the hat wasn't about the circus, but rather a cute little Republican pixie hat, I decided that I might as well make the most of our little outing, and Jack got to drop our ballots in the box!


We simply couldn't leave the Library without stopping by the children's section! His book choice resulted in a few rousing rounds of Winnie the Pooh's theme song as we went about our errands.

The adorable Girl, the wet pavement, the Autumn leaf, the beaming sunshine, I couldn't resist taking this celebratory photo. Voting makes me feel festive!

Refortifying with snacktime at the grocery store... She gets her old stand-by Cheerios,

And the Firechief gets a corndog!

All tuckered out...

So now we are home, and the wait begins. Who will be the new leader of our country, we don't know. But, we are satisfied. We voted, and hopefully you did too, and whichever way the vote goes, we as Americans got to choose. This wasn't a hostile takeover or a military coup. It was Democracy at work. God bless the USA!

Now, let's see, what shall I make for dinner?

For the Birds

Instead of rushing to dismantle our vegetable garden this year, we chose to leave it in place for the benefit of the birds. Most days, all it takes is the opening of the door, and there is a rustling of wings and various chirping voices as they feast on overripe corn and sunflower seeds.

Despite the mouldering leaves and long-wilted plants, I find the garden still a thing of beauty.

And this is why we chose the Northern Red Oak to be our Anniversary Tree- Even in stormy weather it glows with Autumn color!