Stevensons and Dotters

(Sort of) Fantastic Mr. Fox, or, If You Can't Beat 'em, Do A Really Weird Craft Project At An Inopportune Moment.

2011-03-01T16:12:00.000-08:00

My slightly retarded fox.

Sweet fox from Etsy at Sleepyking's. Isn't it cute?

What is it about a messy kitchen and a table smeared with syrup and Dutch Baby crumbs that makes me want to throw up my hands up and sew woodland animals?

This fox is the result of my procrastination. His face is a little bit crooked, and he isn't exactly fantastic, but it was a very satisfying project. I just traced a chubbyish fox with chalk onto some orange denim and beige wool felt, sewed the edges together, then stuffed it. (Actually, my kind husband helped me with the stuffing.) It was a gift for one of my son's friends. (Since most 6 year old boys don't normally request quaint hand made foxes, we provided him with a consolation cap gun as well.) I'm hoping my next fox will be more foxy, especially in the face.

Baby Blue Eyes

2011-02-25T15:20:00.000-08:00

We have been having some beautifully freezing weather lately. That's an an oxymoron for some, but I love it when the snow is perfectly white and crisp and the sky is blue. The kids have been sledding, and the cold weather makes me feel like we HAVE to make super rich almond hot chocolate, and bavarian shortbread. We even tried our hand at Tapioca Pudding, which was the perfect comfort food. (I must have had really horrible tapioca experience as a child, because I had to work up to it.) I like to have enough wintertime to do all these wintery projects like paint birdhouses, make orange marmalade, homemade s'mores, and tissue paper flowers. (More a spring fever project, but still.) I hate to admit it, but this Texan has acclimated to Northern Idaho. Ask me about my amazing attitude in April. That's when I really get annoyed.

Yesterday the sun was shining through Eliot's window and I took pictures of Maria on his bed for a half hour. The light was perfect for showing off her blue eyes. They are so amazing to me, as mine are the dullest shade of brown. Having a baby that looks nothing like me, is definitely growing on me. Now I should go clean the kitchen and make dinner, but I might just try my hand at sewing some small woodland animals. Yes, that's definitely more important.

Winter Blues

2011-01-27T16:31:00.000-08:00

Look at that face.

Sorry, but I have a sickness that makes me photograph Amaryllis plants. And ferns. And babies' feet (but everyone has that right?) To me Amaryllis plants are one of the best things about January.

I found this play fort on Etsy shop Coolspacesforkids today. The perfect answer to winter doldrums, AND it folds up as easy as a tablecloth would. My kids are going to have the ghetto version as soon as we can get our paws on some cheap Walmart sheets and an hour of sewing time.

A Short Break

2011-01-03T17:18:00.000-08:00

So I took a short break from blogging. I would explain, but it's so tedious. (HINT: It involves a broken camera, way too much "morning sickness," and lots of paper plates.) Now that I have a camera again I have been getting the The Blogging Fever. Not a whole lot has changed with us in the last couple years, except now we have a backyard, four (4) kids, an astounding amount of Harry Potter paraphernalia (I blame the child in the second picture, blue hat), and a very loud drum set.

Beatles, Embroidery, and Apple Cloth

2008-05-14T16:29:00.000-07:00

A small, but nevertheless enjoyable occurrence was the recent arrival of my The Creative Family book, and thus the idea to teach Eliot to embroider. I spend a lot of time embroidering, and this book not only encourages you to have your kids work on art while you do the same, but it also shows you how to give them projects that they can handle. Eliot's hand-eye coordination is improving while he stitches through the burlap, and, surprisingly, he really enjoys it, guessing by his numerous requests for more thread. My brave little tailor was only thwarted by the recent loss of his plastic needle.

The other exciting (to me) news is that my "birthday" record player arrived a couple weeks ago. One unexpected result is that Eliot now sees the records and requests that we listen to the Everly Brothers and the "Beach Brothers," while I happily agree. Thanks to itunes, I can only guess that Eliot didn't even know what the Beatles looked like until lately. (Gasp!)

So I finally got a reusable grocery bag (mostly) finished. After finding the cutest Alexander Henry fabric at Joann's I was super motivated to whip it out. The only thing missing is the little snap flap or ties I will sew on in order to make the bag collapsible to fit into my purse. While it's obviously homemade, Eliot thinks my new bag is "wonderful." It's certainly helping me to make less trash anyway.

Have Brain Cloud. Need Help. Please Send Chocolate and Feng Shui Expert.

2008-02-28T12:22:00.000-08:00

I said to my son, "Go, and take paper and markers and draw Noah's ark, for it is school-time." And behold, a bear appeared, and lo, it was very cute. And I delighted in the drawings of my son.

And I heard, as it were, a shout from two children, screaming to hear their own voices echo within the house of the Stevensons. In the midst of the bedroom, I saw two eggs cracked upon the carpet and play dishes. And behold there was a small child clothed in a vesture dipped in egg yolk frying forbidden eggs within her little pans. And I took many waters and tried to scrub the carpet. And upon the carpet was found no more blemish. And lo, I rescued an egg and cracked it within my pan upon a flame, for it was lunchtime.

And after these things, a great multitude of Playmobil animals came down, upon our windowsill, in groups of two.

And after two hours Luxie shall awake and shall be loosed from her crib. And I sat upon a cushion, and behold I saw a filthy bedroom full of great abominations and clutter. Cloth and paper and laundry stacked as a great wall. And a great, messy shelf shewed itself to me, and boxes on which are written "PHOTOS, SEWING, and CRAFTS" in great disarray. And after these things I had a dream of a bedroom that shone like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. And lo the bedroom windows are clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And many neat stacks of clothing and fabric and books have been arrayed in tidy shelves. She that overcometh will inherit a good feeling and vanquish the Beast of Confusion and Chaos that dwelleth within her room. And lo, I awoke from the dream, and I saw a pillar of smoke coming from the kitchen. And lo, my lunch was very, very burnt, yea, unto ash.

What I'm doing instead of laundry.

2008-02-21T13:53:00.000-08:00

I finally got out the old sewing machine to make baby blankets. Unfortunately the projects-that-I-am-in-the-middle-of made quite a shocking pile. I still managed to get a new blanket done for our cousin's cousin. They are the most easy and gratifying projects ever. (Isn't Penelope the cutest name?)

Although our snow is melting away, I found a cute Snow book at the Library called, This Place In The Snow by Rebecca Bond. The illustrations made me really happy. Especially the page where the children wake up and discover the snow being plowed. Yes!! Happy snow-day or snow-melting day, depending on where you live.

Wise Beyond Your Years

2008-02-14T15:27:00.000-08:00

Josh had a Birthday last week and we had a small family party. Jericho and Susanna helped me make a little brie-stuffed chicken and tossed greens for dindin. Here, Jericho and Nick are trying to say something nice about dinner. (Not really, but it makes the picture more interesting.)

I was very excited to snag a new book of fairy tales this week, while thrifting. I found new (to me) illustrators named Ann and Janet Grahame Johnstone. They were British twin sisters who apparently did everything together, as they also illustrated a version of Peter Pan and 101 Dalmatians (which I will try to find.)

And now for some of my fave Eliot quotes. This morning I woke Eliot up by saying, "Happy Valentines Day."
Eliot replied, "I am SOO happy."

Always full of pithy truths, Eliot told Luxie yesterday, "Some things happen for a reason." I didn't know that my 3-year-old was so interested in philosophy.

I pictured myself with a swooping construction worker's helmet.

2008-02-04T14:21:00.000-08:00

It's insane as ever here, but I'm starting a new blog anyway. Sorry about the blurry header. I will change it. It turns out you can't use a digital camera as a substitute for a scanner. Excuuuuse me.

Meanwhile Eliot and Luxie are running around the house, while Eliot screams, "Somebody do something! Somebody DO SOMETHING!" I couldn't have said it better myself.