"sunny side up mama"

mostly marvelous mrs. rabbit

Some days ago I shared with you Semi Fantastic Mr. Fox, who was crafted for Chaz.  What I didn't tell you was that in the gifting of Mr. Fox I learned something, that I think I really knew, but became painfully aware of in the moment of his unveiling.  What I learned is that little boys of the sweet age of eight, yes eight, still want mama to craft snugly, special animals for them, too.  And so it is that I quickly whipped up Mrs. Rabbit for Gavin's birthday.  Making his wait time a full three days between the arrival of Mr. Fox, and Mrs. Rabbit coming along to join him.

A velveteen rabbit was fitting as we had just seen a lovely ballet performance of the Velveteen Rabbit which captivated us all.

Truth be known, belonging to an eight year old boy is a bit more adventurous then belonging to a stuffed animal loving five year old!  My heart was so warmed by Gavin's delight in such a gift.  It is funny that I would make an assumption about when he is "too old" to love stuffed animals made by mama!  From now on I think I'll keep crafting, and wait for him to say otherwise.

If you should have interest in crafting a fox or rabbit do have a peek at Bird and Little Bird for these lovely and easy to follow patterns!

fyi - central coast: four elements farm party

Hey, hey friends!  It's spring planting time.  Time to party and celebrate the sunshine, longer days, sprouting of roots and shoots, gardens, farms, friends and family!  We had so much fun last year at Four Elements Farm Party and Plant Sale I just had to give you a little heads up that it is happening again this Saturday, the 27th of April.  For more information see their event page here, or read on to hear my musings post-party last year!

A week has already zipped by since we spent a sunny afternoon at Four Elements Farm Plant Sale and Farm Party, but I tell ya we are all still talking about the fun that was had.  I am such a farm dreamer, and schemer. I've been this way since childhood. Given that I don't currently live on a farm, I feel especially thankful to our local farmers who so generously share their work, and homes, with us in various ways.  Almost all year we enjoy u-pick fruits, local farm stands, farmers markets, gleaning opportunities, and to add this Farm Party to the mix is nothing short of fantastic, if you ask me.

There was a good social buzz about the event prior, and a great turn out the day of.  I am crazy about getting our community involved locally, and even more crazy about connecting our children to their food. So to see so many friends and neighbors mingling, sharing great ideas, collectively keeping an eye on the children, and soaking in the goodness of our local area, was heart warming.

In preparation for launching the large garden project, (now well underway)  Wishing Well Waldorf School, I am enjoying the fun of creating future experiences for the students, such as growing Quinoa to mill and bake with.  Four Elements has several varieties, which I am still looking forward to learing more about.

The learning opportunities were plentiful with fun workshops ranging from Kids Worm Discovery (something we are always up to here at home), Biodiesel, Medicinal Weeds, Yoga for the Kids and adults, Crafts for the children.....and the list goes on.  Inspiring.  Food for thought. 

and yummy eats, too.

And now....will you join us for The 3rd Annual Plant Sale and Farm Party this coming Saturday?!  I hope so.  Can't wait!  For more information check out their even page here.

semi-fantastic mr. fox

Semi-fantastic Mr. Fox is a hit!  I bought this pattern last year (well, I mean theyear before that) and had all intentions of making this little fox for my boy.  But, you know how life gets (crazy) or us crafty types just get over excited, and way too ambitious for our own crafting good.  So the pattern and all the supplies silently slipped back in the drawer once the holiday season had come and gone, and with them my enthusiasm shifted, as it always does, to the outdoors. 

This year, however, I was so thrilled to find that I had a project at the ready, no collecting of goods was needed, just a few evening hours, and voila, Chaz's semi-fantastic mr. fox was born.  Per request, Mr. Fox came with his very own bed to sleep in, right next to Chaz's.  My mom just happened to still have this sweet little doll bed that once was mine, and now is my boy's.  How handy is that?

I figured no little wintertime fox would be complete without his own mama-made scarf, and a quilt for his very own bed! The quilt is a single log cabin block, made using the technique described in Patchwork Style. It's all pretty cute, if I do say so myself!