Giveaway:: by Super Snazzy Serwa Chic

I'm so stoked to share with you!

For several months I've been wanting a long sleeved bib to protect the shirts of Leviah while she massacres her dinners. I love giving her the freedom to 'explore' her food while learning how to feed herself, but we were having many casualties. To my delight I found that a local mom who recently began her own cloth diaper business added long sleeve bibs to her product line! Perfection.

She has a great thing going & it keeps getting better. She's local, a mom of 1 and another on the way, & her business ideals are so in sync with my own aspirations.

Not only did I get a fantastic bib & diaper cover for myself, Jen agreed to offer a little give-away on this here blog! So. your kiddo, or one that you know needs this Ooga Booga bib/smock (we've learned that they're GREAT for craft time too).

The low-down dirty ways to enter (Comment for EACH entry separately):

1. Comment here using the word Snazzy in a sentence.
2. Visit Serwa Chic & comment here with your favorite item.
3. Buy something from the shop.
4. Follow the Serwa Chic Blog.
5. Follow this blog.
6. Announce the Giveaway on Facebook or Twitter (or both).
7. Become a Fan of Serwa Chic on Facebook.

You're all winners! Serwa Chic is also offering a discount of 5% off any purchase using the coupon code 'turtlestostart' (no quotations) for 1 whole week! (ending 3.5.10). Score.

Winner of the giveaway announced March 10th & chosen randomly from the entries.

WINNING COMMENT (#39 chosen randomly at Random.org):

Joe said...

I am using the word "snazzy" in a sentence - this one. Also, a bib with SLEEVES! That's crazy!

Thanks for participating everyone! Please keep stopping by & commenting! I'm working on another give away already. (but please chime in even when there's nothing up for grabs-it makes me smile).

Finger Weaving Continued

We've loomed a few hot pads on a metal loom from the craft store, but it was frustrating for Naomi & required a lot of input. The other day there was a feature of CraftSanity on Etsy & I look forward to buying one of these as a gift down the road. I hope she doesn't mind me sharing a picture.

Today we made some more progress with the finger-weaving we started a few weeks ago. The end result is a trivet & it's been right up her alley. She feels important making an everyday object with actual functionality--as I think most folks do. What joy there is in using a product of your own creation. How capable that makes one feel.

& last night Drew made this for dinner (with chicken--not pork) & it was SOOOOOO good. So, so, so, so good. The picture doesn't do it justic Rick Bayless is a little quirky, but good taste buds for sure.

on a side note, i'm trying out this new comment thing & not sure I love it, but it makes replying to your comments much simpler. any thoughts? like? no?

Playing with Paint

Yesterday we were back inside, as mentioned before.

Leviah has been a little on edge--not sure if it's a lack of sleep, this oh-so-mean & teasy weather, or if she's fighting some bug, but in an effort to distract her we made finger 'paint' yesterday. Simple enough.

Naomi & I were doing some flower studies with this set of water color pencils Drew recently brought home & little Lev seemed like she wanted to be included.

Just a few tablespoons of flour, a little water, a few drops of food coloring & wa-lah.

She didn't participate for long & mainly thought I was mean for not allowing her to eat it by the spoonful, but we'll definitely try again on a better day.

Naomi did add it to her mixed-media piece however!

& I'm no Van Gogh, but I was pleasantly surprised with my own little 'study'. I'll for sure be playing with these pencils more in the future. Being creative for the heck of it sure is relaxing...

if you have a quick second--go here & vote for Casual 12. Thanks!

Sun Days, Glum Days & the like.

We've had a few sunny days & I feel like a new person. Inspiration comes with Vitamin D exposure. --I wrote this yesterday & am now actually doing some posting. Today I have stumbled back into the pit of gloom, again the weather has betrayed me...

I'll share a few things we've been up to.

While the sun stayed for a few days we enjoyed:

Opening windows & doors, friends visiting, grilling, eating outside, checking on the bees, digging up some carrots, baking...

We had to say goodbye to some dear friends--they leave NC for Texas this week & we visited for hugs & kisses on Saturday. The kids ran wild, we ate cake, listened to some sweet tunes & tore ourselves away...

Today we were feeling worn out from sunny-day over-expenditure, so maybe the rain is a good excuse for slacking & resting. Instead of Naomi's Charlotte Mason group, we visited the library around the corner. She crafted while Leviah & I gathered. They were glad to see us (lev) leave, but before we did Naomi got her first Library Card! Perhaps she'll be better about avoiding fines than I.

And lastly I wanted to encourage you all to listen to this story (the Lucy part in particular). Well, I just had to share it. It's not life changing, or monumental, but it really was a pleasure to listen to. Like a good movie or book I thought you might want some 'entertainment' for a bit. We missed the beginning & I listen to it now as I wait for uploading pictures. hm.

Upcycling: Little Dancer Leg Warmers

Having purchased this sweater for another purpose, it occurred to me that there is more than 1...I'll share my original intentions when I get to them.

For now: a quick & easy leg-warmer out of an old sweater how-to is born. Naomi's been needing some for a while anyway--just in time for today's Creative Movement class, I finished them up.

Here's how you can make your own (instruction precedes each picture):

Start with an old sweater. I chose to shrink this one (it was 2xl after all) by washing & drying at high heat.

2 arms for 2 legs...cut off the arms at the seam (just above the shoulder seam worked well).

Try on your 'model' to see how long you'd like them to be. Trim off excess (following a stripe works well on striped sweaters).

You'll notice that sleeves are not exactly 'straight'; they're slightly angled. To remedy this cut up the seam on both sides removing it completely.

Square off your piece by folding in half & trimming both vertically & horizontally.

For the top edge, snip off a length of the trim on the bodice of the sweater.

With right sides together pin the hem to the raw edge side (top) of your leg-warmer square. Stretch a bit as you pin to ensure a little grab on the final leg warmer. Sew it up using a zig-zag stitch 1/4 inch in from the edge.

Cut close to the sewing to make a clean & less-bulky edge.

Add a little embellishment if desired. (I used my new found love of needle-felting to play around, and can you ever go wrong with birds & flowers?)

Fold your leggings up vertically, pin in place (try to make sure you've got your stripes matched up if you've got 'em).

Sew each up with a narrow zig-zag stitch. Where you've added the extra trim (top edge of legging), try to sew in 1/2 inch making this part tighter for staying up.

Trim off excess seamage & thread.

Turn right side out.

Try on your model.

Document & Enjoy ;)

they seem to work...

:Rabbit Trail:1:

There is this vortex called the internet. On this vortex is a circle of sites & sounds that I get lost in, regularly. In an effort to make these ventures less than forgotten & perhaps just a smidge productive I am going to share the trails I've followed, starting of course at the end.

End (which has arrived on account Figure Skating is about to be aired):

• This is funny for so many reasons. I wanted nothing more when I was a child, am glad I didn't get one, & have seen some pretty terrible ones that fit perfectly into the categories described. I actually heard this blog mentioned on the Bonnie Hunt show recently, too. I assure you, I don't regular that program. Bonnie's great, but daytime TV is a rarity around these parts...
• From here--I like the notion of going 'dresser-less', but i am NOT in love with canvas hangy things.
• 'Not Molly' commented on a swoat, which is most interesting. I love thinking about young girls sewing as I did from time to time.
• OMSH wrote this great homeschooling article on
• This site, that I've trailed before via: all over the internet.
• Tonight I found it here--a lady I'm pleased to have met by having joined in on
• This. Which I found via this & this in the first place...

So, that's trail Numero Uno. I'm sure you have the inclination to ignore this post & you're welcome to. Go ahead; make trails of your own!

Ewe Should Go Next Time!

We visited a local farm yesterday for their sheep shearing. It was so great--i'm glad we braved the weather! The sunshine made the cold bearable...

Anyway, here's a picture or 2.

While we didn't get any roving, we plan on stopping back by. I read that Dorset is a great wool for needle felting & they'll shear the majority of them in a few weeks, so we'll return. If you're local & not visited Rising Meadow & Goat Lady Dairy make a plan for May 2nd! (after you visit us downtown for this).

& though I'm not much of a knitter, Drew & I are both set on the idea of getting freshly shorn wool then cleaning & carding it ourselves. How can one NOT want to do this, at least once?!

Here are some of Naomi's Shots from the front row.

resistance is futile; a few things I love

When I was a kid we didn't own a VCR. No, I'm not that old, we just lived very un-extravagantly. This characteristic of my childhood always seemed like a misfortune when I was there, but looking back the memories of it all are a blessing.

Unlike anyone else I've ever met, we watched movies via renting a VCR from the local library; something most folks didn't even realize as an option. & once in a while mom would make a very special occasion out of an ordinary day. We'd borrow a VCR & choose one of the movies from our collection of 3--Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, or Beauty and the Beast. Naomi watched the latter this morning while recovering from an overnight stomach bug.

Oh, sweet nostalgia.

I hope that I create moments Naomi & Leviah will try to recreate with their own children, special times in ordinary days that won't disappear, moments that can only be defined by love...

It's a love topic this week, so i'm joining in.

I love

Things growing. (more on that here):

Free stuff in the mail:

Naomi's Self Portraits:

Little Trolls & First (crazy) Pig Tails:

Chicken Escapes & farm girls:

Finding friends with great eyes at local thrift stores:

Not pictured:

Sunshine, challah bread, my husband, ideas coming to fruition, Bon Iver & free internet radio, awesome lists with great ideas, time in fellowship, a day of rest...

And riddles I know the answers to. ;)

What does a person often grow in his garden if he works very hard?

Finger Weaving

The addictive art of Finger Weaving

This simple way of using yarn seems like a great means of introducing Naomi to the great world of Fiber Arts. It was in our curriculum and I'm so glad. I've been wanting to buy her this, but the local yarn store hasn't had them in--hopefully next week. But, there's something very satisfying about creating something with no tool but your own 2 hands...(go ahead, sing it.)

1. Tie a loop around your thumb & weave through fingers.

2. Weave back to the thumb & where there are 2 layers on a finger, pull the bottom over the top & over the finger.

3. 4. 5. 6. (and on) Repeat again and again (here we transferred it to Naomi's hand.

she worked and worked.

Until she wanted a break. To save it for later we pulled a ruler through to hold the loops.

We'll do more with it next week. and maybe get better yarn once we've perfected it...

and boy is it ever a blustery day. cuidado!