cider and faun: where ada shares: January 2010

25 January 2010

poppies, poppies!

To my utter amazement, Littlebighead has been nominated for a Poppy! Poppytalk is hosting their first awards for The Poppies. I am in the Favorite Handmade Paper Goods category. Wish me luck and vote for me!

20 January 2010

lupines, moons and a rainy day..

It has been pouring over here in Southern California, but I have missed the rain and it is so very nice to be home and listening to it. Although, once I pick up Natalie from school and go to Chuck E. Cheese for a party, the rain should still be nice.

I wanted to share a few new works with everyone. I finally put up the original drawing of 'lupinus lupus' that I drew some time back. I really love how it came out EXACTLY like I imagined it. I love the colors, the softness of the lupines and of course, the wolves. I think it would make a great tattoo, but that's just me.

I also did a drawing for someone I have known since she was a babe. A beautiful and smart woman now, I keep thinking about the days I used to babysit her so long ago. This is for Ari:

She is going to use the image to personalize her flip camcorder and I am pretty excited that she will truly have a one of a kind item! I am not sure which color option she is going with yet but I can't wait to see how it turns out.

I also put my first two lavender moons in the shop too. I need to get crackin' to add more things there, but that's it for now.

In other news, I was pretty inspired by this post on bread & honey. I too, am changing the way I look at food and how I eat. Trying to do more real foods, more veggies and using traditional fats (like butter instead of margarine). Oh, and cutting back on sugar too (which, I admit, some days I am good and other days, well...)

So, being inspired by how absolutely delicious her salad looked, I am boiling up a couple of eggs and getting ready to throw in some good old veggies in a nice salad for lunch. Speaking of food, here's a recipe I found on hellojenuine for baked mashed potato casserole. Must try that soon. In fact, I open to try really good, home cooked meals that will nourish and delight. If you have any favorite recipes and/or websites, I would love to see them. Happy rainy day!

15 January 2010

creative, herbal-y, natural to-dos...

There are many things I am finding that I would love to do (whether just myself or with the girl as well)...let's begin my list:

make homemade yogurt
make rose beads
make a rag rug
do more cloud gazing
do more star gazing too
try my hand at cinnamon rose elixir
make a few herbal cold infusions
make a chandelier for birds
make an herbal salve or two
make sun tea

I know there is more (there is always more) but for now, this is how it begins...

14 January 2010

mathyldette leaves soon...

It's been a long time coming, but at last! I finally finished little Mathyldette for the sweet miss Mathyld! I started her so long ago and some how time stopped for her and rushed for everything else. Well, I am happy to have started the year finishing things that I have begun and so she is ready to begin her travel across the ocean to be with Mathyld forever.

She will be taking a few other little things to give to Mathyld as well, but I don't want to spoil the surprise (yet). I'll just have to wait until she arrives safely in France first. She did want to wish everyone a happy new year and also to send sweet wishes from Serena, the darling little wizarding owl that came over from France too. Kisses to all!!

09 January 2010

new things coming...

I have a few new ideas of things I would like to create. Yesterday, I finally completed the first one I have had on my list for quite some time. I made lavender moon pillows. I sewed everything by hand, including the moon's face, and filled them in with sweet smelling lavender.

For the 'dark side of the moon' or simply, the back side, I put a pretty floral fabric. Who knows what the true back looks like, why not make it a little pretty, right? :)

I am hoping to make more and maybe some others would like them enough for me to put them in the shop. I also have another little moon idea (it's a little secret right now).

I am also quite excited for something new I've done for the wonderful and inspiring Nicole of Garden Mama...look at her blog for it and wait for a post on her blog coming soon!

p.s. my last post I included a photo of a few herbal things on a windowsill. One day I hope to have a windowsill and view like Rebecca of The Herbwife's Kitchen (just look at her header. she has her winter view up right now but I love the green view all the more).

ah, the new year...

Only a week into the new year but I am certainly feeling good and hopefully about this new decade. Many others have posted their resolutions or the year of 2009 in photos quite prettily. I think I will do neither right now but share what others have done...

Other endeavors and such:

I do have some resolutions of my own, it's a bit of a open list. One I have been dedicating myself to even before the first of January, 'stop waiting for others to do things I can just do myself' . Such a simple task but I was just slipping away last year in so many ways. This has really helped me alot.

I also got the book How to Sew A Button: And Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew by Erin Bried. I absolutely love it. Very informative, very terse and precise and it speaks of all the little things women use to do that we have seem to lost in the past decade. I have been energized and inspired by this book. It sounds so little and maybe even silly, but I have my favorite black slippers that I was thinking I needed to replace because of one tiny little hole. This book reminded me of things that can be done (and saved) and so I 'mended' my slippers by sewing little pieces of pretty fabric on it. Now my right slipper has a bit of character at the toes (big floral and turquoise polka dots). Very recession friendly too!

So, as the New Year has begun, a few things we have done...

Celebrated Natalie's sixth birthday at Disneyland