handmade // holiday gift quote labels

to those looking for a last-minute, handmade, original way to add a bit of comedy to their gift holiday labels, this one's for you!!  i had my embosser laying around from when i made my all-natural essential oil diy gifts the other day and the idea came to me that this nifty tool would make one heck of a cute labeler for our holiday presents this year.  i typed out everyone's name and added a favorite christmas movie quote for a little chuckle on the side.  i had a ball coming up with quotes, there are so many good ones out there!

here are a few of our favorites, i am betting they are well known in all of your homes, too:

"SANTA!!!! I KNOW HIM!" - Elf

"KEVIN!" - Home Alone

"Nobody's walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas" - Christmas Vacation

"Ya filthy animal" - Home Alone

"You'll shoot your eye out" - A Christmas Story

so fun, right!?  what are your favorite holiday movie quotes?  merry (almost) christmas! 

handmade // preserving your garden

yesterday i had a bit of down time to hang some holiday wreathes and red velvety bows on our big ol' colonial.  i had been meaning to for some time now, but more important things kept getting the better of my attention and so outdoor holiday decor was on the back burner.  after slipping on my clogs i made my way outside and stood on a wobbly chair for far too long.  i hummed away, the brisk air biting my fingers, and hung things that made our home look like one big christmassy present.  as i made my way to the back yard i casually passed our old, abandoned garden on the way to the compost pile.  and to my surprise, parsley and lavender and thyme were growing out of the dark, hard dirt!  and not just growing, but they were rather abundant!  it's the weekend before christmas and some of these plants were looking healthier than they had been in months.  leave it to the fickle midwest to keep us on our toes, right?  maybe it will snow in, oh i don't know, may of this new year?  

after hanging the last of our bows i headed indoors to get my herb drying supplies.  i use my trustee pair of sharp garden shears and simple white bakers twine purchased at the dollar store.  i went back out and snipped all the healthy greens from the bed at their base and brought them inside and cleaned them up.  i tied the twine around the end of the stems, making a tight knot.  i then made a little loop for which to tie, and fastened them on my peg rail to dry.  i hung them in a row and stood back, happy with my seeing bits of spring and summer preserved within the walls of our home. 

the hallway off the kitchen smells really yummy and now i'll have home-grown herbs for a variety of things such as soups, stocks, and stews.  i plan on tucking that dried lavender into small canvas bags for our draws to keep them smelling good.  a pretty clever idea for andrew's smelly sock drawer i think!  so if you have some herbs growing outside or maybe some tucked in your crisper in the fridge and don't think you'll be getting to them before they turn, go ahead and try this method on for size.  and merry christmas to you!

handmade // rolled honeycomb beeswax candles

is there anything more magical on a cold winter morning than the soft glow of a yellow beeswax candle?  gosh, i am not sure there is.  and they smell so delicious and sweet!  we've been lighting these little beauties throughout our day together at home and it always adds a bit of whimsy and charm.  it's special having that tiny flame flickering while we have supper and chatting about our day at the dining table.  we also love lighting them during craft time when it's gloomy out and sometimes while andrew and i hunker down after putting the kids to bed while we watch fargo.  theres a sacredness to rituals such as these.  and like some house plants, beeswax purifies the air, did you know this?  the soft, calming light is one that has become a part of our winter time rituals, one that the kids love too because sometimes blowing out candles is just about as fun as watching the wax roll down the rows of honeycombs.

this year as a simple gift idea i decided to roll some for my dear friends.  they are lovely on their own if you have someone in mind that would appreciate a homemade gift, but perhaps with a side of hot cocoa powder or several candy canes they would make for a really nice holiday surprise.  handmade gifts are always the best kind.  i am also going to be using these as gift toppers with some pine and holy berries.  festive and easy.

so how did i make these?  i have ordered beeswax candle kits before, and for those who are not so crafty know they are completely foolproof, but i wanted to test the one i had previously used with another brand just to see the difference.  here's what i found.

the first kit i ordered made for a more muted yellow colored candle.  the string was pretty study but not very long, which meant i needed to go to the craft store for more soon after rolling some long tapers.  that being said, the height of these candles were also rather tall, which i love, so that made up for the lacking of wick.  you'll need a square braid if you do end up getting more.  i like the look of a tall, lean taper in a antique brass holder to decorate throughout the year.  i also never pay more than a couple bucks for my brass holders, all of them are thrifted and tell their own story.  i like to think about all the homes they once lived in, helping provide a cozy glow.

the second kit i ordered made for brighter yellow beeswax candles.  i honestly prefer the softer more natural look, but these are still stunning nonetheless.  the wax itself with this kit was thicker than the previous ones which means sturdier candles, however the sheets were not as tall height wise, about a few inches shorter than the first ones i rolled.  there seemed to more wick with this set with was very pleasing! if you follow the photos above you can see how easily they are made.  just fold over and roll.  then trim your wick and cut the beeswax sheets with a sharp knife.  repeat!

i found both kits were great and very cost effective, in my opinon.  all rolled well and burned beautifully.  the kits were just a little different when it got down to the nitty gritty, depending on what you prefer and are wanting your candles to look like.  oh, and each kit made around fifteen or so candles, which were all rolled at different widths.  one could always roll a giant candle and cut it in half to make a short but wide candle for more burning hours.  that would be really pretty.

*for those curious, this is not a sponsored post, merely a helpful tutorial for holiday crafting and making your home more cozy during winter time.

handmade // autumn sage wreath

this might just be the easiest craft i have ever done, but i am quite sure it's one that will continue to give and give as the days get shorter and the air gets crisper.  it's a sage wreath, a trustee cooking companion for the autumn and winter seasons.

i was noticing that the chilly evenings was having an affect on my herb garden so i brought some in to decorate our home and a majority of the rest the rest to dry.  the rosemary now sits in my kitchen in a sweet little brass pot and the lavender is in our bedroom, perfuming our space with provincial notes.  as for the sage, well i snipped it at the base, gathered it into a little half wreath, then tied it together with twine.  i've got it hanging near my pots and pans for each snippage when soups could use a boost or sandwiches a little herbal crunch.  i am planning to do this with my thyme and oregano as well.  but for now, they seems to be thriving in this chilly, damp weather we've been having.

if you guys have any fun ideas regarding preserving herbs, i'm all ears!

handmade // cedar and cinder porch garden shelves

i have been longing to start up our porch garden ever since my last bout of canning back in autumn.  oh, how i miss tending to our little potted plants.  it gives me so much peace to water them, coffee in hand, as the morning light gradually fades into early afternoon sunshine.  i miss tiptoeing out onto the cold tiles as evening draws near  to snip some herbs here and there for a salad or to brighten up a pasta dish.  gardening is good for my soul.  it's in my midwestern blood and runs wildly through my veins.

i really love tending to my garden, albeit a rather small one planted above ground residing humbly on our porch.  this year we maximized our outdoor porch space by building some sturdy shelves able to withstand the blustery winds that tend to blow about our third floor dwelling.  we came up with the cinder block and cedar combination ala pinterest and are ever so happy with how it turned out.  and under a total of thirteen dollars i'd say it's a real winner.  but next time cinder blocks are involved, i shall wait patiently for my strong, uncomplaining husband to get home so he may kindly lug them up three flights.  whew, that was a doozy.

to make, purchase basic 4 cinder blocks & 1 treated cedar plank (8 inches by 8 feet) cut in half at your local home depot.  the rest is, well, pretty simple.  fill it with botanical whimsy and old coffee cans!

handmade // paper crane mobile

within the grip of winter, we've been in tune with our creative selves.  a few days a week, we have dedicated afternoons to coffee and crafting.  a little project here and there to occupy time, to fill the void of the outdoors that we miss so much, and to help us seek joy with the rush that creating invites.

intrigued by the meditative qualities that surround origami, stella and i have been giving paper cranes a go, with her more watching with wide eyes more than anything.  with persistence and patience, i made five cranes one afternoon.  they were very poorly constructed and no doubt left much room for improvement, but lovely nonetheless.  i made a mobile that same evening, using twine and few twigs from which they now hang.  birds on a sting, the new focal point of their nursery.  flowing gently side to side whenever the door opens or shuts.

for a tutorial on making paper cranes, head here.

handmade holiday // felt valentines garland

for those of you who've been sticking around these parts for some time now, you know i love a good handmade garland.  darling trinkets hung about a candy striped string gets me into the holiday spirit like no other.  with february fourteenth being right around the corner, stella helped me create a sliver of valentine cheer on a rather boring and blustery january day.  we gathered up scraps of felt in fun colors, along with shreds of old newspaper.  we made imperfect hearts of out of them, and placed them on a dainty string to be strung about in our dining room.  like the pine tree garland i made a few months back, i adore this one to bits and foresee it making a new home in the nursery once march rolls around.  it's just that sweet.

step one: gather your materials.  you will need felt in a variety of colors, newspaper, string, scissors, a sharpie, and a hot glue gun.

step two: make some hearts.  remember, the more imperfect the better.  i hand drew mine with a sharpie.  don't forget to make kissy faces at your helper for good measure.

step three: lay your hearts under your string on the floor.

step four: cut out small squares of felt to help attach the string to your hearts with hot glue.  the string should be between the felt heart and the small square piece of felt.  next, use hot glue to fasten the three together.  we matched the colors of felt to help the felt pieces blend together. *grownups only for this part.

step five: string about your home with whimsy, humming a bit of louie armstrong as you go.

on motherhood // a blessings jar

the other day was one for the books.  it was one of those days where my emotions slid chaotically on the scale from "i am losing my sanity" to "god, how did i get so blessed to be their mom?" all in a matter of thirty seconds, give or take a few.  tears brimmed my eyes from the moment i woke and hung about there all day, waiting to fall into a puddle on my cheek.  the only word to surface in my frazzled mind was help.  on the outside when in public places i smiled and put on a brave face, but on the inside i was begging, pleading, just needing someone to help me.  why wasn't anyone listening?!  in retrospect asking for help seems like a novel idea.  next time, next time.

i suppose it never really occurred to me (pre kids, of course) that being a mom, albeit absolutely amazing, is the hardest thing i would ever do.  and sometimes, just sometimes, the seemingly little things, such as endless diaper changing or correcting naughty behavior or encouraging politeness or wiping runny noses can seem drowning if one doesn't get a break or some sort of respite throughout the day.  a constant stream of tending to those little things, although in the scheme of life not so very little at all, can well up without warning and result in an ugly cry as despondency pervades.

it is in those trying times that an empty toilet paper roll can ensue a meltdown, i'll have you know.

as i cleaned up one mess, three more were being made behind my back.  i turned my head as if on a swivel and in that moment felt like an utter failure as parent.  i thought to myself, "why is this so hard for me? what i am doing wrong?"  out of breath and out of hope, i needed a break.  a nap.  a hot shower to wash the day old mascara on my face and perhaps even another coffee just for good measure.  some stillness or quiet would have done the trick but my anxiety swirled into a loud storm that i could not escape, everything billowing in the breeze around me.

and then stella finally laid down after we went back and forth for an hour.  the abc's humming from here room stopped and i made that coffee that i so desperately needed.  i scooped up my theo bear who had been wining to be fed for some time and sat with him at our dining room table.

it took some courage and patience, but told myself out loud to breathe.

just breathe, amanda.

as he started to nurse i looked into his deep blue eyes.  they smiled back at me and told me just what i needed to hear.  that i am doing my best.  that even though i never hear it from the little mouths i feed and bathe and read to and rock and rub and cuddle that i am a good mom.  he told me in his smile.  he made it all better.

like butterflies, a multitude of blessings started swirling about in my overly tired mind.  i tried to catch each and every one in my net, to preserve them for safe keeping.  just like that, an idea came to me.  a blessings jar.  a little jar to contain my moments of happiness in motherhood and life.  a concrete place that holds my joy and inspires my not so good days to becomes better ones.

that afternoon i made my jar and started jotting down memories filled with happiness and laughter...

- that one time stella told me "wow mom!!  you yook beutiful" in the target dressing room when i was trying on too tight of skinny jeans. 

- or the way theodore nestles in under my arm after nursing, hiding from the world with me as his protector. 

- or the way he grins at me, mouth full of milk, during a midnight feeing, spilling most of it on our sheets.

- or when stella comes in my bedroom just to give me a kiss and a hug, then closes the door behind her gently. 

- or when stella said she was "really, really, really, happy" when we took her to see christmas lights.

and since then i have been picking up scraps of paper and scribbling down my blessings, placing them one by one in my jar.  some of them are rather trivial and most sound absurd to random reader but they are my blessings and i consider them quite dear.  they are a piece of my heart that can help my post partumness get out of a funk when need be to remind myself that i have it real good.

i mean, real good.

because mothers and fathers everywhere need to stick together and we should always have each other's back, make a jar of your own if you think it will help you in some way.  i suppose you don't need to be a mother or father, per se, to make a blessings jar.  but if you are, and you have days that a are more daunting than others this might be a simple solution to help you seek joy.

handmade holiday // wood butter

last year was the very first year i started making our christmas gifts.  not only it is a wonderful way to give someone a piece of your heart, but it does save one quite a few pennies and makes snowy days spent indoors more festive.  this year, i decided to try my hand at making wood butter.  wood butter?  yes, the stuff that makes those cracking spoons of yours sing as they stir your holiday soup or what have you.  it's like a deep conditioning treatment for all things wood in your kitchen (and home) and will make your hands softer than a baby's bum in the process. 

ingredients 

1 16 oz. jar of extra virgin coconut oil (i used trader joe's)
1/2 cup of chopped yellow bee's wax
jars
labels 
a marker

to prepare, in a large pot filled with a few inches of water, place a very large mason jar or heavy glass pyrex measuring bowl.  first, put in the coconut oil, following with the bee's wax on top.  set the heat to simmer, stirring every so often, letting the wax melt into the oil.  this might take a bit so fold some sundry or bounce a baby on your knee while you wait.  the heat will eventually cause the mixture to emulsify, becoming smooth and velvety.  once melted, pour the butter into small mason jars and set aside to cool. 

to use, slather it on a wooden spoon rather generously let it soak in overnight, then buff with a dry cloth in the morning. 

this whole process took me about thirty minutes, including the labeling and such.  what a fun gift to give all of my favorite cooks!