Keep Calm Craft On {crafting on}

The act of creating, in one form or another, preserves my sanity amongst the chaos of life. This explains why I always have more than one project going at a time as well as why my housework tends to fall behind. I enjoy seeing what others are working on and keeping calm with, too. What are you creating? What is keeping you going? Snap a picture or two, post it on your blog, on Instagram #craftingon and/or Flickr and then share it with the rest of us by leaving your link below.

Got a new pair of longies for Baby F on the needles. As I cast on for these it became apparent to me that I have a new obsession with the color gray. I can't seem to get enough of it, which is shocking to me as I normally tend to lean toward brighter colors.

What are you working on? Happy creating!

An InLinkz Link-up

Keep Calm Craft On {crafting on}

.: O n e :.

Celebrating my perfect little miracle baby in pictures (because I have far too many). I still get chills when I think about his arrival. He is such a gift. I can't believe I have had the honor of being his Mama for a whole year already. Blessed doesn't even begin to describe how I feel having him in my life. Just woke up Wearing his birthday crown (for about five seconds) Opening presents Handmade decorations
...and we also bought some decorations. I just couldn't resist. We went to our local party store and asked them if they happened to have any fox decorations. They pointed us to the clearance section where fox themed baby's first birthday decoration were. How much more perfect could it get?! Obviously, I loaded up the cart.
For me?! A bit uncertain but checking out the frosting. First bite and not letting go Birthday cupcake.
Normally my babies get a banana on their first birthdays as they usually are just starting solids. This little guy, on the other hand, started much earlier so a cake was in order. I wanted a cake that would taste good to all of us (including non-vegan guests) but still be relatively healthy. We decided on high-rise pumpkin cupcakes from Oh She Glows Everyday topped with "frosting" made from coconut cream sweetened with maple syrup. I think it fit the bill.

His handmade gifts: See, I told you his birthday crown was going to be a lot simpler than my usual ones. I didn't want to distract from that cute ribbon. His birthday outfit. The shirt was from here and I made the pants using the quick change pattern from here. As you can see his pants have lots of growing room. I overcompensated when I modified the pattern to fit over cloth diapers. Oops. Gifts from the girls. The (unfinished) owl was made by C and the fox by K. His highchair cushion covers Root children stacking blocks bought second hand back on our trip to Oregon (while still pregnant with Baby F) Fox sneakers because, cute!

I don't have photos of him in his birthday sweater yet (but will soon). Also my children reminded me that I forgot the most important gift - his own doll version of himself. All my children receive Waldorf dolls on their first birthdays. I did actually remember but didn't find the time and to be honest Little L's lack of interest in his doll made me lose my enthusiasm for making one. But perhaps in the near future I will visit doll making again.

.: O n e :.

Keep Calm Craft On {crafting on}

The act of creating, in one form or another, preserves my sanity amongst the chaos of life. This explains why I always have more than one project going at a time as well as why my housework tends to fall behind. I enjoy seeing what others are working on and keeping calm with, too. What are you creating? What is keeping you going? Snap a picture or two, post it on your blog, on Instagram #craftingon and/or Flickr and then share it with the rest of us by leaving your link below.

My girls convinced me to make new highchair cushions for Baby F (at the very last minute, I might add), so now I am burning the midnight oil finishing them up. I suppose it is good to have two sets anyways since they get dirty so fast.

What are you working on? Happy creating!

An InLinkz Link-up

Keep Calm Craft On {crafting on}

Progress

Kitchen help Impromptu sibling tea party Highchair banner in progress
Thank you so very much to all of you for your encouraging comments on my post about our upcoming move. They made my week and made the whole situation feel just a little less overwhelming. I am trying to remember to just day it day by day. Having Baby F's birthday coming up this week seems to be helping to take the edge off.

Speaking of Baby F, he is growing up almost overnight on us! He started walking holding onto our hands last week (completely out of nowhere) and today he suddenly took his first step as he went from hanging on to the windowsill to walking towards me. Does he know he is turning one this week? He is cutting a new tooth right now, too. With so much happening at once my poor little guy isn't sleeping much. I hope that it settles down for him soon, it breaks my heart to see him miserable.

K rearranged her room over the weekend. She is a mini-me in that regard. I can remember constantly moving the furniture around in my own bedroom growing up. She pushed her bed up against the wall making her room a lot more spacious since her last arrangement. I am noticing that the whole family is drawn to her room now. It is so welcoming without all the clutter that filled it before. It is making me realize that I need to work on making the rest of our home feel this way, even if it is only for a few more months. Oh while we are on the subject, I was thinking of getting Little L some kind of toy chest with a lid for his train tracks that are taking over our home. I have only just started looking but am having a hard time finding one that is big enough, made from real wood and is friendly on the budget (we are trying to pay off the last bit of debt we have before he retires). I thought I might check with all of you to see if you know of any off hand.

p.s. - the booties pictured above are the project I mentioned that I was knitting for a friend awhile back. They are finished and have already been sent off - actually they were even already received and looking quite cute on an adorable baby girl. Pattern info can be found here. Oh and do you happen to remember me talking about those books (the booties are on) many years ago? Kevin got them for me for Christmas. I am looking forward to reading them all over again.

Progress

For them

Above photos to give you an idea of scale. We knits hats from micro-preemie size up to newborn. The hat C is holding on the left is a newborn size. The hat she is holding on the right is about 18 weeks gestation.
Last summer my friend's baby boy was born sleeping. I felt like my heart broke into a million pieces hearing her story. I can not imagine the pain that she went through/is going through. She mentioned to me that one comfort she has is the tiny knit hat and blanket he was presented to her in.

A couple of weeks back the same friend told me about a knitting event being hosted by Abigail's Hope. Their mission is to bless families through the heartbreak of losing their precious baby in utero with gifts that will help them heal and feel loved. Abigail's Hope provides handmade baby hats, blankets, books and other items to grieving families. As soon as she told me about this event I knew I needed to help and my girls would want to as well.

Weaving prayers into each and every stitch, my girls and I knit for them. We knit for the babies that never had a chance to gaze up into their mother's loving eyes, and for the mothers that will forever have an empty space in their hearts. I hope our act of love can bring at least the smallest bit of comfort to the parents, letting them know that their baby is loved, and so are they.

p.s. - I didn't get a chance to photograph all the hats we knit before giving them to Abigail's Hope but we had a good amount. C and I have decided to continue our efforts and knit as many as we can.

For them

Keep Calm Craft On {crafting on}

The act of creating, in one form or another, preserves my sanity amongst the chaos of life. This explains why I always have more than one project going at a time as well as why my housework tends to fall behind. I enjoy seeing what others are working on and keeping calm with, too. What are you creating? What is keeping you going? Snap a picture or two, post it on your blog, on Instagram #craftingon and/or Flickr and then share it with the rest of us by leaving your link below.

Sewing the birthday boy some quick-change trousers from Handmade Beginnings. His crown is done and a bunting is in the works. This fabric is just too much fun to work with! I think I will just keep on sewing until I run out of it...or run out of time. Hmm, what else can I make for him?

What are you working on? Happy creating!

An InLinkz Link-up

Keep Calm Craft On {crafting on}

Our not too distant future

Baby F's Cable Tree Milo blocked (and already worn a few times as I am sure you can tell!). Rav notes here.


I have mentioned us leaving Idaho a few times over the past few months, but then haven't actually gone into details. It has been hard to write about because I don't really know the details yet. I do, however, know major changes are coming our way. I try to embrace change but this one has thrown me for a loop, even if I did has a hunch it was coming. The truth is I go back and forth between accepting our future and burying my head in the sand pretending it will never come.

This spring Kevin will be officially retiring from the military. He is happy about it but I am rather anxious over the whole thing. I will be the first to say I am not one to love military life but I do love the steady income and job security aspect of it. His retirement means a complete start-over for us because his job in the military doesn't translate into the civilian world. He jokes about us living in a cardboard box but I remind him that those jokes are not helping my anxiety over all of this. Right now we are in the midst of figuring out what our next step will be. What kind of work can be found and where. It is rather funny - before children I would have loved a life changing event like this. I was a bit of a gypsy but now with our children in mind, I just can not help but feel a bit more wary.

Our dream of moving back to Oregon may or may not happen depending on where work can be found. But I am okay with that. As long as we are together then I can live anywhere (but please dear God, don't let it be somewhere hot and muggy!). Kevin actually spent the last week in Oregon on a job interview of sorts that unfortunately didn't work out. But hey when one door closes, another one opens, right? Who knows. Maybe we'll end up back on the east coast closer to our families. Only time will tell. In the meantime we are working hard to be completely debt-free by the time retirement rolls around, I am decluttering like a mad woman and praying like crazy for wisdom and discernment.

I trying my best not to worry, knowing it is not in my control anyways. I just need to let go and let God - trusting whatever His will for us may be.

Our not too distant future