Posted by Big Sister on 08 Feb 2009 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
Ok, I had to post this: I was just reading on one of my favorite knitting sites and one of the designers described herself as a primate rancher. What’s a primate rancher?… you might ask….
wait for it… wait for it….. a Mom.
Funny, right? Until you really start thinking about it. Maybe it’s just me… How about you? No this isn’t about Evolution, it’s about ranching… the purpose of ranching… get it?
Posted by Big Sister on 08 Feb 2009 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
Think Gloria Gaynor and get your groove on! I have so much to catch up on and so much to share. Maybe I should have titled this one ” Time keeps on slippin’ slippen’ slippen’ into the Future” . And the truth, as is often the case, can be found somewhere in the middle, along that continuum. But more on that later. Oh! It just started to snow and that after a longer than usual January thaw. We have had days in the 50’s that felt like the 70’s. Bright light and Vitamin D. Fresh air ushering in a clearing… and now, snow! ” circling and swirling, spinning and twirling…” ~ Snow (one of our all-time favorite books!)
Posted by Big Sister on 16 Jan 2009 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
Unfelted
Don’t think I’m manic when you see the bags that I have been churning out this week. Stay tuned for the tutorial on the little backpack. Yes, one of these is a little doll-sized back pack. It is the variegated pink one on top. Marya is over the moon, and it is ~ oh so easy ~ to make!
Posted by Big Sister on 16 Jan 2009 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
Have I mentioned that I LOVE dandelion greens? I have been absolutely addicted to them since starting to eat them about a month ago. Besides being little health-bombs, they are absolutely delicious, too! Love ‘em, love ‘em, love ‘em!
Today I gave the kids a snowday. It all started with a late night, listening to Tchaikovsky on the radio. Swan Lake and yes, it was the dying swan, Odette ~ heartbroken. Echos from long ago. I have been thinking about the passage of time lately. A lot. Good and Bad. Well, I guess it all has to be fundamentally good ( small “g”), right? But scary, too. I mean, how did it go so fast? Where did it go? Missing and realizing that which will never be again. At least not in any way I can comprehend at this point. Can’t wrap my struggling mind around concepts of eternity. Yet. The present is so intense. Nostalgia and Sadness, but Gratefulness, too. Such precious time with the little ones who are less little everyday. Even Markus, asleep with his silk sword from Santa clutched between both of his wonderful hands. He has always had the most wonderful hands… even Markus is less little day by day. Kibo is 10. That’s half way to…. and these next 10… and then what, and if only, and what if, only… What?
And then a day like today. A snowday with P.J.s and cheering and Fang den Hut and a first game of Monopoly (which, like Tchaikovsky takes me back to McGiffert Hall.) But peace here, now. Big Books in the Big Bed and Chapter 1 of The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe. McGiffert again, small tiles… can feel the fur on my face, the cold night air ~ sensory memories from a first reading some 30 years ago. Cool air now, too, as it pours in… a bit of fresh air and Oxygen in our own snowglobe.
Perfect, and just the way it should be. Present.
Posted by Big Sister on 14 Jan 2009 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
Happy Birthday Little Sister. Hey everyone, it is little sister’s birthday today! Happy, Happy Birthday! This is your day, Emi! What a special day for me, too. On this day, all those years ago, my life changed forever!!! You were born, and I was no longer an only child! What a gift! From “live doll-baby” to dearest friend and confidante, how our relationship has grown and changed and changed again and matured and deepened! I love you so much! I love this journey we are on together! Happy birthday sweetie!
Posted by Big Sister on 07 Jan 2009 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
We used to talk about sock feet days… and today should be one of them. You know, the kind of day where you hang around in your sock feet, reading, knitting, cuddling… Should be, but isn’t. For one thing, the weather is too nice. For a sock feet day, it has to be cloudy, at the very least, and preferably cold. Today is neither. Not altogether bad, though. It just doesn’t quite match my mood. Do you know that feeling? The birds are busy and the fox just trotted by with another egg in her mouth. It looks like a chicken egg. I’ll let you know when I track that one down. The Tomten is, no doubt, doing just that! The littlest nogs are milling, speaking in high voices… a sure sign that all is good, regardless of maternal ideals.
Posted by Big Sister on 06 Jan 2009 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
Sometimes you just have those moments where you realize everything is in alignment and all is right with the world. Last night we were making pizza for Axel’s birthday. It was cold outside, the sun had already set. I stopped for a moment to just take in the scene… all 4 children busy shaping dough, patting it, tossing it, rolling it. They were all rosy-cheeked ( did I mention it was cold?) and intent on crafting their own masterpiece. Amongst all the chatter, the smell of the yeast, the warmth of the kitchen, I realized… this is one of those moments…. Confluence!
Posted by Big Sister on 06 Jan 2009 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
We’re ready to start on our first craft-along and we’ve chosen to make a Valentine’s Day Countdown calendar. The only guidelines are to have some sort of countdown to Valentine’s Day for the first fourteen days in February and to have it completed by January 14th. It can be two-dimensional, three-dimensional, out of paper, fabric, wood — anything you like! We’ll post our calendars with tutorials on January 14th, giving anyone who wants to make one enough time to do so before February. Feel free to link to your own calendars in the comments and remember to photograph the process if you’d like to post a tutorial. We will definitely feature our favorites!! Stay tuned in the meantime for other crafty goodness. Happy crafting from M&Em
Posted by Big Sister on 06 Jan 2009 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
Hi, I am Michelle the big sister. Emily, the little sister, and I grew up loving crafts and making things. As adults, we have tried to bring to our own families the kind of bond you create by creating together. We always dreamed of continuing those times spent together and having our children grow up in that environment. As life would have it, we find ourselves living 1,658 miles apart (credit to Emily for the exact distance!). Our idea of a little craft house where people could come and create, and share and find new ideas and wonderful materials had to go virtual. So here we are! Welcome to bigsisterhandmade and littlesisterhandmade. Together, we hope that these sites will be a place where we can come together, daily, weekly, anytime we want, to share our special bond and our love of crafting with each other and with you. We extend to you and invitation to join us on this journey. Craft-along, cook-along, chime in, weigh in, share your own ideas with us. We are so excited to create this place, long dreamed of and now created (Thanks Tony!) I can’t wait!