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This is probably the closest thing I have to a “before” picture of our art cabinet. I had already sanded it a bit, but you can still see the dark stain it had. The boys had the best time playing in the cabinet before Dane put the shelves in!
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I didn’t take any proper “before” pictures of the art cabinet, but I did find this cute one of the boys playing with the drawers during the refinishing process.
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LITTLE CHICKS
As a parting gift after spending a week with us to help with the new baby, my patents left us with four more babies! We’ve wanted chickens for years, and although it doesn’t seem like the most convenient time to begin - we really love the new additions!
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SHAPE STAMPS
R loves to play with my stamps, but they’re just too fragile (being hand carved) for constant use. Now he has a sturdy set of his own! I just traced some basic geometric shapes onto an adhesive backed foam sheet, cut out, and pressed onto wood blocks from the toy basket. So easy!
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REVERSIBLE PAJAMA BAGS
When my mom was a young girl, she wore the same pair of pajamas all week, because she was clean each night before putting them on. When I was little, she had a special satin bag made for my pj’s that hung on my bed post. I hadn’t thought of that bag in ages until I read this article:
http://rhythmofthehome.com/archives/autumn-2010/from-day-to-night/
We try to re-wear our clothes as many times as possible before washing to save on energy and resources (both the planet’s and my own)! And since I like a place for everything and everything in its place, I just had to make these bags for the boys using linen from my stash. The moon and sun are wool felt appliqués, and the identifying letters are cut from old leather samples given to me by an upholstery salesman.
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SILK BABY BLANKET
I’ve wanted to make a silk/flannel blanket ever since I saw this one:
http://www.novanatural.com/baby-toddler/bedtime/silk-blanket
I prefer un-dyed fabrics for newborns (they have such a calming effect don’t you think?), and I can dye it later when the baby is older (and grubbier).
I used this super simple swaddling blanket tutorial from purl bee:
http://purlbee.squarespace.com/swaddling-blankets/
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LACTO-FERMENTATION
A friend invited me to a wonderful cooking class where I learned about preserving foods the “old-fashioned” way (before the invention of canning), so that the food remains alive and full of probiotics. You can find out more on their website:
http://www.cookinggodsway.com/
My first recipe to try at home with my new air-lock system (which lets gas from the jar escape to avoid an explosion, while keeping air out to prevent contamination) - dill pickles! They’ll be ready in 2-3 days, and I can’t wait to see how they taste.
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OUR NEW ART SPACE
Ever since the Creative Spaces workshop I attended (see this post: http://biciclettejami.tumblr.com/post/18293634174/creative-spaces-workshop-access-inspiration), I’ve been working on creating something similar at home. I was so excited to find this armoire on the side of the road the next day, because I needed a piece of furniture that would allow the boys, but not the baby, easy access to art supplies. (When everyone’s older I’m sure we’ll switch to open shelves). I wish I had a before photo of the armoire - I doubt you’d recognize it. After a lot of TLC, new knobs, and a coat of paint, we have a beautiful addition to the kid’s eating area. This is a great place to make art, because it’s right off of the kitchen and they can work at their little table. Now I need a display system for artwork that’s just as attractive!
