lincoln's first big snow and early christmas gift

nice fat little tree

We got a tree from dick and junes because it was freezing cold out on Saturday. We were tough and we tried cut your own but the farm was on a windy hillside and I still have no mittens (mittens please santa Bill!) and the only trees they had were tiny tiny trees for 60$! We didn't think the old timey experience was quite worth 60 bucks. So we spent half the price for our charming tree.
We get to use the stockings we made last year when we were waiting for Lincoln Bear. We hung them around our nice warm fire and decorated the tree.
Great auntie and grammy came over for some hot chocolate and gave us a red and white tweed fern animal for our christmas tree. It looks really good with the stuffed village Bill and I made yesterday. I can't wait to make some ornaments. We bought some martha stewart brand bakers twine at micheals to hang our gingerbread men. It is just so pretty and completely worth the money.

bazaar bizarre, holiday pictures, and creatures for sale

The craft fair is over. It was nice to see our friends and the overwhelming amount of cool stuff people are making. Bill and I stood nervously at our table in the freezing cold for many hours. I bought some gifts for my friends Rhea and Peter's baby that is due in March and traded a doll for a beautiful scarf handmade by my friend Sara. Now we have christmas and Bill's birthday to look forward to. I want to make ginger bread for my family and some little ornaments and a christmas village. I took photographs of Lincoln with the intention of getting a holday cards printed but we decided it's not number one or two on our december priority list. Saturday we are picking out trees with grammy (one for grammy and one for us). Then we are heading home to set it up and drink some hot chocolate and listen to some festive music (the yummy cakes christmas).


In other blueberry pancake news, The Green Egg Shop in Manchester, Ma bought some of my stuffed creatures to sell! It is a beautiful modern warm feeling shop with lots of great things for little ones. The owner Tracey makes hand embroidered onesies!!

ears n bear

a bunny for Lincoln Bear

Our kitchen before and after

Bill and I finished our kitchen! Well basically finished, we still need to install some drawer pulls and odds and ends. After many months and a very tiring weekend trying to get so many things in order for thanksgiving I am relieved something is accomplished. thank you to grammy f for the big help and my three blog readers Ashley Brown, Ashley Brown, and um Natalie?

magic raccoon marked pancake eaters that love harry potter!

Today I made this banner and took some pictures before my creatures butts were sewn up and the 4oclock darkness.
Luna, Hermione, Harry, Ron, Neville

weekend

hello

I had a good weekend. we ran errands, made cookies, worked on handmade animals and books, had a beer with sarah, read some harry potter, and went to endicott farm in danvers. I wanted to put pictures of the farm on flickr but our monthly limit is preventing updates. so here are some pictures on the old blog.

Lincoln's first halloween and first word!

We have turned our clocks back one hour and confused Lincoln's sleep pattern. Halloween is over and winter is moving closer. We woke up to frost Sunday morning and put on our sweaters. This weekend was filled with pumpkin cookie baking, grandma visits, grocery stores, a handmade pillow, a first word, our car inspection, Rockport Ma, trick or treating, cousins from Oregon, homemade meals, a long drive to western mass while listening to Tracy Morgan, a surprise party for my friend Justin, and a hawk eating a squirrel carcass.

Halloween was Lincoln's magic first word day! We were playing in his room when our cat Count Hot Chocolate Bear ran up the stairs to say hello. Lincoln became very excited at the sight of her and flopped his limbs around and giggled. Then he pointed and said"cat!!!" What a cute first word and on Halloween! I don't even know what my first word was.

Today is Sarah Smiths birthday!!! Sarah was my advisor/professor in college and now she's just my lovely book maker/funny drawing maker/beer and ice cream pal.

new creatures for the craft fair

curious about pine comb

Here is a picture of Lincoln holding a pine comb. He is so cute and curious about the natural world. I love his little chubby hands!

handmade by a bookbinder paper folder

This toy was made for Lincoln by one of Bill's graduate school professors Hedi Kyle. I think it is so pretty and wanted to show you some pictures.

blurry autumn

Time has been passing so quickly for me. Last week was a great week. It has been so nice out! Lincoln and I go to the park everyday. Bill and I haven't accomplished everything we have wanted but we have been having so much fun with Lincoln and our friends. This weekend we made two delicious lasagnas and froze one and Bill made southern style sweet tea. Friday Bill, Sarah and I had a pizza pie from the upper crust in Salem and watched project runway. Saturday we went down to Providence to see John and his beautiful daughter Lola. Sunday we had family/work on stuff day and I made Lincoln a funny toy that looks like a ufo peach while listening to Johns new dirty Beatles album. Monday we went to the orchard with the Karjala family and ate some hot cider donuts and in the evening Rhea and Molly stopped in for some tea time. The week ahead looks just as busy as last but I am going to see Natalie and Molly, two lady friends I love! This blog thing is hard to keep up with but I am going to keep at it and put some new stuffed creature pictures up soon. I had more ideas and things to write about but I kept putting it off and now my mind is blank. bye bye.

hot chocolate cat

My old New England sadness.

I finally feel like I am back in Massachusetts the leaves started changing and the grey clouds have been in the sky since Lincoln got his first cold last friday. I feel tired today. He was up all night crying because of his fever and ear pain. He is napping at the moment and it is so quiet in my house. The cats are asleep and the rain and wind has stopped. This weekend Bill and I have big house work plans and creature making plans for the December Boston bazaar bizarre. It's exciting to have a weekend at home with Bill. Last weekend we went to visit friends in Northampton and the weekend before that Bill had to work for a book binder in Waltham. We have been so busy since we moved to Massachusetts from Philadelphia. Our house is still not homey enough so we decided that everyday we are going to do something to make our house feel more home like even if it's something small like hanging one picture. Tonight we might warm our bellies and make banana bread with our black bananas. I also need to get a pumpkin. There is nothing like feeling the weight of a fat orange vegetable in my arms. I love this time of year, the sun light, the dark evenings, the crisp air, the trees, and field grown sun warmed pumpkins.

My family with Louise & Betty

Louise and Betty

Three

John Franklin and Ringo

John Ringo and Lincoln

This is just before Lincoln tried to eat John and Ringo's long legs.