Year end transformations

At this time of year I'm usually writing down resolutions but instead we're knee deep in a laundry room renovation. Where you see those pipes against the wall is where our stacking washer and dryer usually is. I washed/dried 9 loads on Monday preparing for this week! The space is the former back porch of the house and needed some extreme leveling (long hard day for Jared on Tuesday). Yesterday we had our babysitter for the morning and got our first layer of thinset down then the cement board. Last night when I hit a wall Jared kept going and got the next layer of thinset down then the nifty tile underlayment called Ditra. It's a cheery bright orange. We had a rough night of disrupted sleep from Bird then leg muscle cramps for me but we're back to it this morning! I have a tiny window of time to write this then need to lay out all the slate floor pieces while Jared and Bird do the coffee/playground run.

Have a lovely (and hopefully relaxing) day!

Hugs, Devon

Ps: I'm posting this using blogpress on my iPhone - hopefully it works and looks okay. If so I'll probably use it more often - super convenient and easy.

Merry Christmas from Montana

We've been sledding (lots)!

Enjoying cozy fires & a constant stream of Jared's espresso drinks (oh my the heartburn).

Pulling on & peeling off layer after layer of clothing.

Remembering what cold really feels like (not since my RISD days in Providence).

Exasperated by ill-fitting (pre-pregnancy) snow clothes & all the rigging needed to keep them in place.

Thoroughly enjoying watching Bird enthralled by her older (8 & 12yr) & younger (7wk twins) cousins.

Trying to soak up the extreme beauty of Montana - Big Sky country.

Wishing I'd brought more than my iphone for pictures.

So happy & grateful for family, fun times, new experiences, and this beautiful wild place.

Merry Christmas to you wherever you are this season!

hugs, Devon

Felt Garlands, Family, & Keeping Traditions

We're fully recovered around here from a family Thanksgiving and, wow, now it's almost the 2nd week of December! To celebrate the season with at least one handmade item I cut 200+ felt circles and sewed them up into the most cheerful garland. There's nothing that can lift your spirits like stringing swags of colorful circles all over your backyard and taking pictures. Wish I could leave them out there - if but for the rain. Tonight the garland will go on the Christmas tree that we just cut down in the Santa Cruz mountains yesterday. I love traditions.

Our Thanksgiving was a flurry of family & food (much like most people's I imagine!). My parents flew in from Germany & my brother and his lovely wife were here by car from Florida in one leg of their road trip for upcoming work they have (and a move to Oaxaca, Mexico!). We had fun in Golden Gate Park in SF, went on lots of walks, and Bird had WAY more attention & audience than normal & took full advantage.



My parents stayed in my studio so I checked myself out from most work for the week (& blogging, & twitter, etc..). It was refreshing to have a break. And have more hands here that wanted to take Bird to the playground & help with dinner. How nice.



Bird is really pushing my limits lately with her 2.5 year old'ness and I'm having to adjust my attitude to compensate. I'm sure I'll be doing a lot of this over the years. Wish I could just be happy and relaxed ALL day rather than feel my patience grow majorly thin by the time evening rolls around. I've definitely threatened out loud that I'm finally going to get the backpack leash - for REAL this time. It's exacerbated by being beyond 6mths pregnant and starting to feel the drag of the new baby on my body just a little more. Still, it's been awesome to feel pretty much as good as I did when I was pregnant with Bird. I'm still doing Zumba classes, walking every day with our crazy hound dog, giving Bird tosses in the air, and still have enough energy for the late night ceramic class I've been taking for a few weeks (which is crazy fun).

Today I have our super lovely babysitter here (this is why I'm blogging) & finally am getting some work done. I've got a series of patterns in the works for a new collection - they're based off a gorgeous little city in France we spent time in last May. I can't wait to show you some of it!

For now, here's a picture from the weekend...in the Santa Cruz mountains searching out the perfect tree :o)



Have a fabulous day!
Hugs, Devon