Merry Christmas....

Wishing everyone a beautiful weekend. May you spend it with people you love.
Merry Christmas!

Happy Winter Solstice!

I hope the shortest day for you is bright and that you have love and light to fill the darkest night.
****Warmest Solstice Blessings to you****

The Bridges of Lane County....

While we were on our trip we were able to take a tour of several covered bridges in Lane county. I was thinking of the movie Bridges of Madison County the whole time...that is such a good movie, I am pretty sure it was a book first.
It was a very cold frosty morning and the bridges were full of beautiful frozen spider webs.
I would show you all the frozen web pictures I took, but I took way too many.
What is it that is so romantic about a covered bridge?

Just the two of us....

It doesn't happen often. Every five years or so Ben and I have had the opportunity to have a night away from our children. This past summer I won a vacation package here in Oregon that included a nights stay at a garden resort about 2 hours away from the city with dinner and wine included. We had planned on visiting this summer but I was too ill to make the trip so we cancelled. Luckily Ben's parents are in town for the holidays and were willing to watch the kids so we could try again before the certificate expired at the end of this month.
Unfortunately the garden was mostly dead by this time of year, but the frozen early morning dew made it beautiful in a different way.

This Moment...

(Pottery night at Sophie's School)

A moment from the week to cherish and remember. Inspired by Soulemama.

The perfect one...

A big heartfelt thank you to all the kind people who responded to my last post. Your words have helped me so very much. I know there are a lot of people out there going through hard times and money trouble and a difficult pregnancy is minor compared to what some people have to deal with. I have a lot to be grateful for. My children know that I love them, despite how many gifts may be under the tree this year. I know in my heart what matters most. It is so very difficult to avoid holiday pressure at this time of year but it is so superficial and not what Christmas is about. It's not a time to feel bad about what you don't have, but a time to cherish what you do.
I found out that I do indeed have low iron and also vitamin B and folic acid deficiencies, so at least I know the reason why I was feeling so awful again. I have been feeling stronger after taking a good prenatal vitamin, as well as Floradix and drinking nettle tea like crazy. I know the homemade gifts can wait for another year.....or better yet Birthdays for the coming year(Hey that might be a fun New Years resolution.)
I will do what I can and not feel bad for what I might not be up for this year.It is okay.
***Wising you all lovely, peaceful holidays***

Here are a few pictures from our trip to get our Christmas tree last week. We have been BLESSED with many days of sunshine, it is really wonderful, I do not take the sun for granted in the winter after living in dark rainy Oregon for the past 10 years. This was our first year cutting down a tree for Christmas. The Portland area is surrounded by hundreds( I am not sure this is accurate but they are everywhere!) of Christmas tree farms, really it is amazing. We found a beautiful farm with an amazing view of Mt.Hood and we came home with a cute little tree that was just the one Sollie wanted(thank goodness for that cause once you cut it down then it's yours, man that could have been a major temper tantrum,whew). Sophie decided it would be okay if we got the tree while she was in school cause all she cares about is decorating it, which she did over and over again. She did a great job too and even let Solomon help without too much fuss.
Our cat Lola loves to sit under the tree and drink the water out of the stand, it is a holiday tradition. Our trees usually dry up pretty fast...gee I wonder why?






Hey this place has candy canes!


Leave to this guy to find the stump more interesting than the trees.


Look at that sweet face.


The perfect one...

Overwhelmed...

*rant warning*
I have been pretty quiet at this space lately. Unfortunately I haven't been feeling well. Thankfully I am not vomiting constantly anymore, just feeling really exhausted and out of breath all the time. Hopefully it is just an iron deficiency( partly due to major illness in beginning of pregnancy and being a vegetarian). I am still waiting to hear back from my midwives about my blood test results. I started taking Floradix and drinking Nettle tea to boost my iron, I have felt a little better since doing so. This pregnancy has been so different that with my other two. I loved being pregnant and felt great with them(after early pregnancy morning sickness) I was very active and hiked up until the day of giving birth. I am so out of shape this time I am out of breath after making my bed and vacuuming the floor.
I don't like feeling helpless and out of control. I don't like relying on my husband to do the work that I would like to be able to do myself around the house.
The holiday season has added a new amount of stress as well. Unemployment has hit my family for the second time in two years. Coming up with money for rent and bills and food is hard enough, thinking about how we will get extra money for holiday gifts is completely overwhelming. I just don't have the energy to make a bunch of gifts this year either. I wish I did.
So I am feeling badly, for our situation and angry with holiday expectations. I wish the holidays wasn't so hard on people. I know I am not alone and that there are many families that are having an ever harder time that we are. Things don't matter, the people in our life that we love is what matters and spending time with them. But still I feel like I am letting my children down and I hate that. I feel guilty that I didn't get the advent calendar that I worked so hard on last year up until today, the 6th. That is silly I know, and really doesn't matter, but still makes me feel inadequate.I don't think my pregnant mind is working rationally either.
Sorry for my rant. I normally don't like to complain or get into super personal problems on my blog , but I think I just really needed to get this off my mind. Hope you understand.

I don't want end on a negative note, so for a huge boost of positive energy and little reminder to how beautiful and amazing life can be check out: This

Birthday Sewing...

'
My friend's daughter had her Birthday party yesterday and I was struggling up to the last minute with what to make for her. I wanted to make her something cute to wear but also wanted her to have something fun too, so here is what I came up with: a pig mask(her mama tells me she is into pigs) and a fun skirt. I had the fabric sitting around untouched from the summer months and it just screams Portland (put a bird on it). I have been itching to make something girly and colorful lately. The mask is made from eco- felt with a bit of elastic for the strap, fun and super easy to make.
I had plans this summer to add an entire collection of fun funky skirts to my Etsy shop, but never felt well enough to do it. Hopefully by the next skirt season I will have them added to my shop. Although it always seems to be skirt season in Portland, people just wear pants under them:)
By the way I am still squeezing my 7 1/2 month pregnant belly into my regular pants, zipped even, although it is getting quite uncomfortable so I plan to make myself a few skirts for my last few months of pregnancy. ..oh maybe some new legwarmers too.....if only I weren't so tired.

Yarn Along........

I am joining Ginny today for the knit along, stop by to see lots of amazing knitting and to be inspired, and maybe find a few new books to add to your reading list.

I have just been knitting fingerless mittens like a zombie... mindlessly. It is good therapy though sometimes to just knit something familiar over and over again. I have a ton of wool in my stash for knitting small projects and these tiny mittens take no time at all. Looks like I need to weave in a few loose ends, eh.....
Speaking of stash busting has anyone seen this?
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/labyrinth-circle-rug
I was thinking of giving away a bunch of my stash but now I might just want to hold on to it :) Although this would be a huge project to tackle but would be cool to work on a bit here and there over the years.
I am reading Shanghai Girls by Lisa See. It was a book suggested through my mama book club and not a book that I ever would have picked up on my own, but I am really enjoying it. It is very well written and has held my interest since I started a little over week ago, which is saying a lot cause my mid is all over the place these days. I need to catch up to my book club friends and finish this book this week though, but I am sure will with my pregnancy insomnia and all.

Alpacas!

My family and I visited an Alpaca farm open barn in Sherwood, Oregon over the weekend. Aren't they so sweet? The kids had fun getting up close and feeding them. I think their Papa did too:)
The farm had an amazing view from a high elevation and you could see for miles around. It was a really beautiful area. I could have stayed all day. It was so nice to get out of the city as I have been feeling very claustrophobic lately.
Someday I wont have to run away, I will already be there....

This Moment.....

A moment from my week to cherish and remember. Inspired by Soulemama.

Give Thanks....

Be thankful today and everyday.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Yarn Along.....

(Sorry for the horrible picture, it has been so dark here in Oregon)

I have been quiet on the blog lately so I thought I would join in this week with the Yarn along with Ginny.
I just finished a pair of baby booties from the yarn left over from the easy baby cardigan. They turned out pretty cute. Although they seem a little big for a newborn so I don't think the sweater and the booties will be worn at the same time, but hey no big deal. The bootie pattern is called "Ruth's Perfect Baby Booties" and can be found here. How many times did I say booties? A lot!
I am still constantly knitting toddler fingerless gloves to sell, but am sort of in between projects right now. Still SLOWLY making progress on the star baby blanket, my October deadline came and went,oops ;).
I just finished reading A Knitter's Home Companion by Michelle Edwards. I checked it out from the library and finished it the same day. It is a quick read full of touching essays, recipes(mostly vegetarian too!) and a few knitting patterns that go along with her stories. I cried after reading almost every essay, it could be the pregnancy hormones to blame, but it is such a sweet book. I highly recommend it, and because of the recipes and patterns it would make a great gift for a knitter to come back to again and again.
I am also reading Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes but making very slow progress. I am however enjoying it very much. I have seen it recommended on many blogs.

Calling all local knitters in Portland...

I know many knitters are already stressed about all the projects that they have to complete for their friends and family at this time of year. But I know you could whip up a hat or two during the season, perhaps while waiting in long holiday lines(especially at the Post Office, my goodness) for a good cause, right? For someone with a cold head, who would appreciate your knit gifts more than you could imagine. Warm a few hearts as well as heads. Check out this great community project:http://livingearthgatherings.org/hats-scarves/
Practice compassion this Holiday Season, you don't have to give money to help, use your talents to help those in need.
Warmly,
Heidi

The Glow Of Autumn...(finding peace)

Handmade for the Holidays Directory...

I though it would be nice if fellow Bloggers who are also Crafters and Artist could come together and help promote each other for the Holiday gift giving season that is upon us(already?!).
Below is a list of shops offering a variety of handmade gifts. Please feel free to add this button to your blogs sidebar and If you would like to be added to our handmade gift makers directory please just send me an e-mail with a link to your shop and your name and e-mail, you can also
include a short description of your work. Thanks so much and I hope to hear from you so our list of sellers can grow and grow. Please pass on word, help save handmade and support fellow artists!

The Handmade Holiday Directory:

I am Heidi, I sell whimsical clothing, dragon costumes and unique accessories for children at Humble Luna.

Taryn from Mama Gone Green makes sustainably designed creations for babies and children you can find her shop at Green Mama Design.

MamaWestWind from Chocolate Eyes makes beautiful Waldorf Peg Dolls and you can find her creations at Mama West Wind.

mb creates thoughtfully engineered and sustainably hand crafted baby carriers and cloth diapers at Earth Huggy.

Erin from Tiny Twist Creative sells 100% organic or eco-friendly, linoleum carved and pressed t-shirts you can find her creative designs at Dandelion Dream

Eliz.K from Monday Shennanigans sells precious embroidered baby bibs at Knittens.

Tonya from Plain and Joyful Living makes handcrafted toys and rustic home and wedding decor from branches harvested from her homestead, you can find her shop here at The Vermont Branch Company.

Anna sells candles, dolls, hair clips and many more beautiful handcrafted items made by her and her family from their shop Stitchin' Traditions.

Claire from Simply...Life sells tie dye clothing and other handmade fiber arts such as felting, knitting and crochet at Aisling Designs.

Nadja from Patch O'Dirt Farm creates wooden swords and shields, peg dolls, cherry-pit heating pads, potholders, pincushions, greeting cards and more at Frost Lane.

This moment....

I am joining Soulemama this week for This Moment but I am breaking the rules this week, I need words.
Sometimes crazily hormonal pregnant Mamas need a break so desperately after a week of kids that refused to nap and didn't go to bed until 11:30p.m., that she heads out of the city into the country for a Sunday drive by herself, leaving the husband with the kids (who would rather sit at home anyway) with no idea where were she is going...just to go somewhere and feel a little bit of freedom, for a chance to think, and maybe even be inspired......

And a chance to photograph a curious llama( or is than an alpaca) in a field full of grazing sheep. I wanted to climb the fence and sit in the field with them, maybe with a warm cup of tea and a mindlessly easy knitting project. If this were my field, maybe I wouldn't have had to travel so far to find some peace.

........and sometimes one photo just doesn't cut it.

Some recent knits....

I have been knitting away. A few smaller projects have managed to be completed while I slowly chug away on my star baby blanket. Not entirely for lack of motivation,I ran out of yarn and I just got a matching skein to continue on with it. I had to search all over the Internet to find one, but I did and it matches...close enough for a variegated blanket anyways.

I knit up a Triceratops from the Prehistoric Pals pattern for Sollie's good friend's birthday. I love the pattern, this is the fourth Dino I have made and they knit up pretty fast. The only part that slows me down is the sewing together of all the tiny knit pieces. The Triceratops has the most pieces(horns), but I think it is super cute. What a clever pattern it is and a clever person who came up with it.

I also knit up another "Easy baby cardigan" from More Last minute Knit Gifts by Joelle Hoverson. I love the yarn(Cascade Yarns 220), it was purchased on our Redwood Anniversay trip and holds more of a significant meaning than I expected so I think it is very suitable for our little womb fruit. I have a little extra yarn left over so I am currently working on booties to match the sweater. I think it is gender neutral enough. I am not really fond of overly girly clothing. I have a huge to-do knit list for this baby. Can I wait until after the holidays to knit more baby things? We shall see....probably not ;)







What are you knitting these days?

Do you sell your handmade goods on line? Do you have a blog? Want some free Holiday advertising? Please see my previous post. Thanks!

Searching for crafty folks.....

Do you have a blog and an Etsy shop or a website where you sell your handmade creations? Would you like some free advertising for the Holiday Season?I am looking for interested people to be part of a Handmade Holiday link. I will link up all interested folks to the button above and we can then all put them on our blogs to help advertise each other for the holidays.

This idea will only work if I can find other interested artists, but who wouldn't like a little free advertising, right?

I will be the one to link the button to your shop and add new folks as they come. All you have to do if interested is send me your e-mail and a link to your shop. Lets support Handmade and help each other this holiday season!
Please leave a comment if you are interested, I am eager to hear from you!

This Moment......

(I just love finding his self portraits on my camera. He has been doing this since ever since he could push the button and I have saved every one. They will make a great coffee table book some day, always good for a laugh. Oh, my sweet silly boy....)

A moment from our week to cherish and remember. Inspired by Soulemama.

An Autumn Hike.......

I took way too many dewy spiderweb pictures. They were just so pretty in the morning sun.


We rescued a frosty Wollybear. I picked him up and carried him around in my hand. I thought he was dead by then as it got warmer it started to move, by the time we got to the top of the hill he was able to move his legs.


Great views from every side on this Butte.


More insect friends...
We also saw a beautiful hawk glide slowly over the meadow, hunting rabbits and mice.


If you look very closely you can see the ghost of Mt Hood looming in the distance trying to break through the morning fog.




A rest at the end of a good hike:)

On another note, Becca, MamawestWind from Chocolate Eyes who won my dragon tail giveaway shared a ton of pictures of her little one in his costume. I hope you get many years of imaginative play with the costume, thanks for sharing!