trick or treat!

Have to share the classic of the season - Charlie Brown's, It's the Great Pumpkin :o) Enjoy!




And here are some perfectly spooky, orange & black, all dressed up Halloween Etsy faves:

Cheshire Cat Halloween Hair Slides by Momomatic

Mini Zombie Bunny Monsters by Star Monkey

Paper Doll set by Alissa Studio

Catnip Eyeballs by HannaPt

Sugar Skull Bib Set by Starlight Sound

We're winging it this year with Mbird - thinking we'll sit on the porch and pass out candy (nixing the industrial fog machine this time) until Miranda has had enough (probably by 7!) then turn off our light when she goes to sleep. A ribbon across the porch columns will probably help too. Those kids (you know, the ones that seem a little too old to be out, and aren't dressed up, and have sorry pillowcases for bags) always ring the bell even when the lights are out and it's after 9. I'm just happy we got the porch all cleaned up and our pumpkin lights out this year - that in itself was an accomplishment!

Hope you all have a Happy Halloween!!
xo, devon

Monkey Girl & Summer Veg

Miranda the monkey :o) Sweater from 'Outrageous Outgrowns' sale...it even has a little plush monkey sewn into the pocket - can't wait till she finds it.

Just wanted to share the goings on of the week. I had very minor surgery today for something that never quite healed (or healed too well maybe) after Miranda was born. I'll spare ya the details don't worry :o) Thankfully Jared was able to be here to watch the Bird and then took the rest of the day when we realized I probably wasn't in the best shape to watch her. She's 17 lbs now! She's so heavy! I also can't walk Phylo for a week...whinetastic. Hopefully Jared will pick up that slack too - I feel badly about it, but it is extreme squirrel season and he is one over enthusiastic dog.

I've been spending nearly every free moment getting ready for my first sale of the season next week. I won't have quite as much stuff as in the past but it's a pretty good spectrum of items. I think I'll be happy with my little collection of goods. I'll post pics as I have them as well as info about the event. It's a really great one and open to the public though it takes place within an interior design firm. And such lovely people too - I wouldn't miss it. In fact, it's only one of two sales I plan on doing through this December. Those, plus keeping up my shop is about all I can muster. But I am interviewing a baby sitter soon, so who knows the future holds!

Have a super lovely evening...I've got sewing and felting to dig my hands into :o)
xo, devon

Obliging me as I take photos - one of my favorite activities of the day.

And this is it...last of the summer veggies, plus one lone strawberry and two teeny charentais melons. Unfortunately the majority of the tomatoes were a variety labeled 'unique flavor' - I should have heeded the warning. Unique indeed, but not terrible in a sauce. Time to turn the beds and maybe plant in some legumes to enrich the soil. I've always wanted to do that!

Cozy etsy faves

It's warm here in San Jose, though I'm pretty sure this is the last of the real warmth before the chill hits. November always seems to have the coldest temps! Spring is the killer for me though - super gloomy with endless rain and gray skies...I try to have a good attitude about it every year. The best defense is just staying as busy as possible. That way you go about daily life and don't notice how crappy it is outside (just kidding, is it ever that crappy here??). But really, that's exactly how I got through 4 years in Providence!

But on to the coziest etsy faves...these are things you just want to snuggle into. October is so much fun :o)

yokoo's snuggler - gotta love this girl...she's a hoot. check out her flickr page as well - so fun

sweater pants by handmade pretties- gasp! these are so adorable!

spratters and jayne scarflette - so fun, and love her swallow tatoos!

wool longies by green way babywear - do these come in adult sizes??

charlie & theo by paperfox - coveted these guys for SO long...they've long since sold, but maybe she could make another just like them. they're just so huggable and ready to be napped with :o)

Time to call it a night...it's been a LONG week, and an even LONGER day. But may I say that there are often not very nice people at whole foods? And that PG&E trucks shouldn't race each other down highway 17 and endanger ladies driving with babies? And that babies should be nice to their mamas and nurse happily and not stress their mamas out?? OK, enough said - I'm done for today!

xo, devon

Big helping of Miranda Pie

Quite possibly the most Mbird-dense post ever :o)

Miranda and her Sigmund the duck plush. Sigmund was destined to join her plush collection before she was even conceived...Phylo got to him and removed an eye (he's normally so good about my stuff!). I couldn't get the poor ducky back together well enough to sell him, sooo Sigmund therefore became a part of our household. Thanks Phylo...

Taken this morning...and what a morning it's been let me tell you. Well, no, I'd rather not. Some things are better left in the past, or buried deep in your subconscious where they can visit you while you're trying to sleep at night. Am I digressing? I have to say she looks so stinkin' cute in this hat. It's easy to release the stress of her tired wails in my ears when I look at these pics - thank goodness! Cause sanity is all I have left and even that's wearing thin.

Oh, and those Haba toys are so wonderful...super cute and I love knowing that they're safe because they're in her mouth all the time these days. The other wood toy is by Selecta and is also from Germany. This morning as she was possibly going to nap (but didn't) she nailed herself right in the forehead with it. Wood toys can hurt a little, yikes. Needless to say, that woke her up even more!

My little gnome baby :o) Got her dressed in long sleeves and pants and hat and then realized it was going to be 85 degrees today. Gotta love it here - mid-October and balmy. She's in different clothes now - a change was necessary for other reasons...

Over the weekend we hung some cool mirrors and art in Jared's office (aka the 'everything' room) . I just love convex mirrors. Here he is with the Mbird in the ergo, taking in a convex view of things.

Sitting pretty on the setee in her bedroom. I'm almost done making pillows for that cozy spot. And the cut chenille coverlet was an excellent find at my favorite thrift - big enough to cover the whole cushion and only $7.


Tummy time :o)
That was a fun morning...


And oh my goodness, can you believe how big our girl is?? She is 4.5 months old and about 16lbs (I'm pretty sure - my back says yes). When Grandma Sandi was here, she started an adorable crochet sweater for Mbird (plus hat, booties, and scarf!). It came in the mail a little while ago, and...sadly...I had to stuff this chunky monkey into it like a sausage! She's growing so fast - yesterday I had her in 6-12 month clothes, and she was like, whew! thanks mama for not shoving me into such tiny stuff anymore. For real, look where those yellow striped pants come to! Hilarious :o)

Grandma Sandi, maybe you can make her another sweater?? It's really SO cute - those kitten buttons are unreal.

So scrumptious!! Love that girl :o)

xo,
devon

Holland the baby owling plush

In the shop now!
:o) devon

in the glen & etsy faves

Mbird and I had a lovely afternoon traipsing around the Glen today. After dropping off Mr. Figley the barn owling - he is now named Wes (cute) - at his new home, I popped my girl in the ergo and in short time we hit the ups drop off at long's, the post office in the theatre building, and the most magical new toy store that opened just weeks ago! I picked up a wonderful treat for Miranda (maybe it'll be her Christmas present - I don't think she'll know what to do with it till around then anyway!). Aren't they lovely??

Made in Germany and painted with safe plant dyes - nice, hardwearing wood that I won't mind her chewing on (cuz you know she will!). For endless entertainment - stacking, filling, etc. I love them myself - just think of how a 6 month old will feel about them :o)

I also picked up dinner from Taiwan...guilty pleasure. I've been devouring M. Pollan's, " The Omnivore's Dilemma" (while nursing - long story, for another time), as well as "Nourishing Traditions" cookbook (headspin!) and let me tell you that eating at Taiwan is probably not in keeping...but...oh...well. It was tasty and made our evening a tad bit easier to bring ready made food home. With that little bit 'o extra time we managed to squeeze in the new Indiana Jones movie - it was fun :o) Jared's on the fence about it, but I thought it was a good time.

Now on to just a couple of etsy faves...just about out of Friday here:

Tresor Necklace by Jewelera

Treasure Box - Interactive Wall Art by Alepeka

Blue Ticking Treasure Pocket Pants

All of these shops have lots more goodies than what I just showed - check 'em out :o)

night, devon

well, it's a done deal then!

Now, I've been pretty blatant with everyone (even my dad - especially my dad!) that I'm voting for Barack Obama. He's the obvious choice for me when it comes to the majority of issues our country is facing. But I've never known how he felt about a couple of different things that I'm personally passionate about. I just read something that I have to share - and I'm pinching myself that this guy is going to become president!!

On the issue of factory farming and all the implications (please read Michael Pollan's 'The Omnivore's Dilemma' - a great book and highly enlightening) Obama has said this (as told to animal activist Nikki Benoit in an interview):

His response included an admission that our infrastructure needs fixing, and that subsidies need to be taken away from large scale animal ag, helping small family farms. He acknowledged that our health care crises needs to incorporate preventative measures, including more fresh vegetables and fruit. He also said schools need more of these items versus pre-packaged food and meat products. And of course, he pointed the finger at China and India and that their new diet [which is mimicking ours] needs to be changed.”

It's a huge can of worms to open and deal with - the farm bill has actually just passed and only comes up every four years. You can be assured those lobbyists work really hard in all that time between. But maybe Obama can do something about it. I'm just glad to know he cares.

He also cares about something else near and dear to my heart. I just heard that he and his family adopted a rescue dog! Be still my heart!! You can read more about it here. It's very sweet and I'm just happy that there is another dog out of the shelter and in a good home. Both Phylo and Sanguine are from rescue groups and it's an awesome feeling that we could give them a better life - they give us way more in return.

Have a great night all!
xo, devon

Nova the owling

Top left...my little Nova the owling plush from my shop. He was on Etsy's homepage today! :o)

xo, devon

sleepless night + etsy jewelry faves

Yep, not much sleep was had last night. I went to bed ridiculously late - well, I should say I almost got to bed ridiculously late. Miranda beat me to it, waking up 11:30pm & needing to nurse. So, no problem right? Happy to feed my little munchkin. But then again at 2am, then 3am...then 3:40am??? Ok, at that point it was come snuggle with me, but she just wasn't happy and barely snoozed between 4 & 6am, at which point Jared woke up - didya feel refreshed hon? ;o) We checked her diaper, gave her some burpy pats - nope and nope. It was nearly 7am and she was ready to get the day started! Jared took her and I buried my face in my pillow and had the weirdest dreams...oh my gosh - giant seals (like 30 feet long) in a river behind our house, one flopping up the stairs toward our back door and swallowing our cat! (I was able to rescue her and all was fine). There was a whole other host of weirdness, but I won't go into all of that.

I woke up to 'eh, eh's' and raspberry blowings and realized it was nearly 8am and Jared must have been able to put her down next to me before heading out to work. Now she's down for probably her typical length of nap - 45min - we shall see. What's this day going to be like because she slept so little?? I don't know! - I'll need to set up a coffee IV or think of something that both distracts Mbird and keeps me lively through the afternoon. Wish me luck...

Now for some of my favorite etsy jewels as of late (a couple of these items I have, the rest I would love to have!):


My friend in Argentina, Gabriella, has a gorgeous array of handmade items in her shop - India y la Luna (her daughter's name is India). I have a lovely pair of earrings she made and these are calling my name as well.

Awesome stacking rings by Kateszabone


'Fox in a Cage' wooden brooch by Pony Parade - love it


'Graceful' silver earrings by Gypsy Studio - I have these! They were a fabulous gift from a friend - absolutely love them and just about everything else in this shop!!

Check out this beauty - necklace by Pebble - I love the simple, elegant pieces she puts together - they have so much style and sophistication yet are really playful too...sigh, someday :o)

Okeydoke...time to get ready for the Bird!
Have a lovely Friday and weekend all...xo, devon

Caroline and Mr. Figley

Caroline the sleepy owling plush will be making her way into the shop shortly - she's darling and I hope she gets picked up soon :o)


Mr. Figley the barn owl - yes, barn owl! - is going to his home in Willow Glen. A lovely someone ordered him from me. She also purchased a large swan painting from me a few years ago and it was great to hear from her, and hear that she wanted a barn owl plush. It's always fun to try something new. Barn owls are really amazing, and so mysterious looking. I made Figley a little sleepy, and ultra cute. I hope she loves him.


Oh yes, sleep is calling...Miranda has been tough to get to bed these past few days and by the time she goes down (hmm, 8:30pm tonight) I'm pretty done. Jared and I were saying we deserve medals every time we get her to sleep. Naps are tricky...bedtime is more reliable, but still not easy. She is getting really funny too - flirting with me, trying to catch my eyes and make me smile - it's nearly impossible to not look at her (but I'm still thinking - just go to sleep!). Tonight she babbled on and on while perched on my shoulder as I rocked back and forth on my toes. I can see her in the future, sitting in her crib talking to herself when she should be napping. We think she's going to be quite the chatterbox :o) It's too fun. Love that girl.


sweet dreams all!
xo, devon

etsy friday faves on saturday

Yesterday was a toughie - so much so I don't feel like rehashing but will say that sometimes I wonder if I'm going get through the day without losing my sanity. Being a parent is really challenging! There are times (like when Mbird is overtired & fussy all day and there's no one around to help or bring relief till say 5:30pm) I think I'm going to lose it. Of course, the next day I usually feel much better. Even in the middle of the night, when I'm nursing her and things are quiet and peaceful I tend to see the bigger picture and get back to feeling like everything's going to be OK. Up until Miranda was born I had zero baby experience and the closest I ever got to kids was when I was painting murals in their rooms or seeing my nephews every other Christmas. I guess I should have expected some adjustment eh? :o) In the end, we'd have it no other way - this girl has us completely smitten and we love her to bits.

Now...this week's etsy faves! Some lovely birds to share...

laptop tote bag by janine king designs

wool bird by cats miaow

cardinal shadow box by diglio designs

Cork pouch (yes, cork fabric!) by Cork and Cotton

happy weekend everyone!
xo, devon

what's for dinner

"The Vegetannual" by Richard A. Houser

I would love to tweak our eating habits around here, but it's tough going when it's not just my own palette to please. We've been thinking about joining a meat CSA (yep, you read that right) because we have an insistent carnivore here whose face pales at the mere mention of cutting back on meat in the house. I on the other hand could survive happily on black beans and brown rice, fruits of all kinds, veggies (especially roasted - all veggies are delicious when roasted), and a few other non-meat articles thrown in. I do admit to appreciating some homemade bbq chicken and really do like prosciutto on my pizza. And dairy products are somewhat hard to imagine life without (though Mbird doesn't seem to handle dairy so well so I've cut back) - but I love thick organic plain yogurt, cow and sheep milk cheeses, and of course (real) ice cream.

The problem I see is how do we eat more responsibly for the earth and still meet our cravings/enjoy eating? And how do I keep Jared from having a hissy when I bring up eating less, but better quality, red meat? He gets that it's an important concept but thinks I'm being a little one sided. If he has to cut back on meat products, what am I going to cut back on? Good question! I'm not sure where to start with this one...it suggests I don't have perfect eating habits ;o)

Anyway, this is a neat snippet (sort of related) that I read this morning. Some great thoughts on food, and wonderful ideas about dealing with food pickyness! Good stuff.

"What’s the magic trick? Lie. Like a rug. Lie to yourself. Lie to your kids (but don’t do in an obvious way - kids are really not stupid). Explore your acting talent. You are going to convince yourself to not only like X hated food (one at a time), you are going to enjoy it. So the first step is to tell yourself you will like it, and to eat a little. Trust me, it won’t kill you. Try the kindergarten method - three bites. And then keep putting it on your plate. Smile at it. Think friendly thoughts. Think how wonderful it is to try something new. Think how lucky you are to have it. Find something you like about the taste."

And for the rest of the article go here. Named Casaubon's Book - Sharon Astyk’s Ruminations on an Ambiguous Future - I like her blog quite a bit.

One thing I should note is that we do grow some of our own food (wait'll you see our gigantic watermelon photos) and we buy mostly organic - I just feel like there's more to it than that. We also try hard to eat seasonally. It's been pretty tough to give up eating bananas year round, but we've begun to appreciate what's ready and ripe now (melons! figs! apples!). Bananas aren't so tempting when I have figs within arms reach of Mbird's window. One of my biggest inspirations on seasonal eating was Barbara Kingsolver's book, "Animal Vegetable Miracle". Very much recommend it - she's a terrific writer.

But I still don't know what's for dinner tonight! Any ideas? I'm looking at my trusty black beans and rice :o) Sorry Jared! Maybe I'll figure out how to finagle some egg in there, or maybe some bacon - you'd love that wouldn't you?

xo, devon