gift

My Christmas gift from Adam this year was a porch swing.  It's been on my wish list since we moved here 11 years ago, but fixing up the porch this fall means there is finally enough support for one.

I love the color.

I love it.

I am already dreaming of sipping coffee on it on a warm spring morning.  

projects

Here is the jumper I mentioned last week.  Because I don't know how to make buttonholes, I just stitched on snaps with homemade wooden buttons sewn on (can't really see in the photo).

The pocket is felt with a larger homemade button.  For a non-sewing mama, a warm flannel jumper that fits = success!  

The cowl is one that I whipped up for a friend's birthday.  It was so quick and I love how it turned out.  The pattern is posted in the "notes" section of the ravelry link.

Joining Nicole this week.

warm weekend

This is the time of year that Adam will try and do some logging out of our woods for next year's wood supply.  We only have about 2 acres, but because most of the trees are the same age and size, we need to thin the woods a bit for the health of the younger trees.

The warm weather this weekend made the kids eager to work on their fort, the animals happy to enjoy some sun and the chance for Mama to get outside with our sick little one for a bit.

Merry Merry

"love you, merry christmas, old gates farm" and a man with glasses and hot cocoa, by m (4)

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!  

Wishing you all a warm and joyful holiday!

just a few more

Yes, I've been finishing up some gifts today.  Our 7 year old, Z, loves everything Laura Ingalls Wilder.  I bought him this craft book and put together some of the supplies he'll need to make a few of the crafts.  Today, I finished embroidering the felt needle holder for his embroidery needles.  

K made some Christmas poppers filled with gin-gins and earth ball treats for the kids.

And I finished up a flannel jumper (and it's too dark for pictures but I'll post some with F in it soon!)

Now time to relax by the wood stove.  Warm greetings to everyone on this Christmas Eve.

crafting and catching up

I've been a bit absent from the blog lately-- with the snow and then a very sick kiddo and Christmas crafting (and life!), I've had to let some things go.

I made a bunch of different knitted or sewn cozies this winter. 

And headbands

and I slipped in a honey cowl for myself, too.

I have very little skill as a sewer, but make pj pants for the kids each Christmas.

And soap, of course.  I tried my hand at milk soap, since we have so much milk around here. ;)

And a limited edition carrot honey soap, made with our carrots...right before our juicer died.  

Hope all of your holiday prep is going well!  I'd love to see what you've been up to (share a link in the comments if you'd like).

Joining Nicole this week.

a little sun, a lot of snow

tonight