Since I'm so often a purger rather than a saver, sometimes I talk myself out of things to "have just because they're beautiful."  For Christmas this last year, Jahred indulged me with something to have for just that very reason and it's even more so enjoyable coming from him (a man of few gifts...no insult intended...I really prefer it this way).

After an art show in December, I came home excited about a guitar I saw there.  A real instrument, hand-crafted, but something I would honestly never learn to play well.  Constructed from upcycled cigar boxes and of very simply construction, I was dreaming of such a piece as a photo prop or as home-dec.

Jahred sought out a guitar (from a local Minnesota artist) and chose the one he thought I would love.  Today I created a guitar strap, in a previously undiscovered fabric to photo with my never-before-pictured, new, frivolous guitar.

The guitar artist is Soup Hunter Guitars.  Don't judge an instrument by it's website, but here's how you can get a hold of them.

So here she is – the partial canoe rescued from certain death by fire.  As she presently hangs from the ceiling above me, I have to point out through the details that things weren't always this pretty.

The exterior color is original and every rock she skipped over has left evidence of itself in scratches.  To the exterior we did nothing but clean, wax and buff.

I gave her a name.  Doing a bit of research I pulled up the names of every shipwreck in the Great Lakes.  The smallest vessel to remain underwater is an 8' boat named the "Penelope."  Assuming this canoe wasn't much longer than the original Penelope, I adopted her namesake and painted it on the side of our treasure.

While the wood of the seat and handle are original, their luster is not.  After a brief sanding we gave them two coats of clear varnish to bring out their age and natural beauty.  The brass hardware is new, the black edging is the same webbing I make my guitar straps out of (plus a tube of E6000 adhesive), and the interior of the boat has been spray-painted gold.

Needless to say, I am totally in love with canoe restoration.  Maybe this will inspire you to look deeper into the banks of your nearest river and dig out a piece of condemned history yourself.

PS - If this was your boat: Finders Keepers!  (Or pay the escalated price of one-million-dollars.)

The new view from my front door.  Also notice the black railing and bit of blue painters tape...an updated photo of our custom staircase to come.

"Your ceiling is your fifth wall."  I remember reading that in a magazine once.

Last weekend I remember telling Jahred, "I hate this vaulted ceiling.  It's dead.  I need to hang something from it, like...a canoe."

Jahred - "I saw a canoe.  In the county park the other day.  Well, only half a canoe.  It was in the burn pile."

Me - "And you're just now telling me this?  Axel, get in the car!!"

We pulled up to a grim sight – a canoe so ugly only a vaulted-ceiling-hater could love it.  We crammed it into the van and took it home.

While the details I will photograph in the natural light of day, here is a preview of where that broken vessel ended up.

Is it only mothers that feel a bit of relief following Christmas?  With the hype, build-up and child-prep necessary, it seems post-holiday-war I have nothing left to do and am absolutely fine with the silent and mundane once again.

Spending Monday entirely on the couch and the rest of the week tearing down decorations I find myself with a pre-Christmas-clean house and now what?

Surprisingly, although I thought Etsy business would crash after Christmas, it has kept up at a steady clip.  I'm once again about a dozen orders behind and beginning to think that's the way I like it.  Always something to occupy my mind and perpetuate the "career" I have created for myself.

As for New Years, we are planless.  Jahred works the weekend and Axel and I will undoubtedly be playing one continuous round of "cars."  With so much accomplished for my family in the last 12 months, we'll be grateful to be within our own four walls, in our own warm beds as the ball drops over Times Square.

Maybe the best thing about closing out one productive calendar year is the glittering hope that the next one could, just maybe, be even better!

_It's come to the attention of my Inbox that something crazy is happening to my Etsy shop.  Not long after the infamous "Black Friday," my shop must have started on FIRE!

If I've been absent in all other areas of my life, it's because my presence in the sewing studio is more of a captivity!  You may find me wandering aimlessly through errands or making a preschool pick-up covered completely in thread.

Don't get me wrong, this is just the sort of turn-of-events we Etsy artists dream of, and it's a total blast, but I'm afraid I'll be burning the midnight oil to get all these "guaranteed by Christmas" orders to their appropriate "givers" by the 24th!

If you've been stalking my shop, contemplating a guitar strap or kit for someone on your own list...I would advise you to shop sooner than later.  With nearly 18 straps going out per day, I'm still 33 behind, and the list is growing!  I'VE GONE VIRAL!

When Jahred has a weekday off, it seems I've always got a mission for him.  This week: make a costume rack/toy box from materials you have in the garage – don't buy anything new.

I am so happy to announce that his mission has been accomplished!  Using leftover bead-board from Axel's bedroom and the branch of an old tree, Jahred has made the most adorable, masculine, eco-toy box I could have imagined!

The finishing touches are the gold paint and the fleece liner – because I knew Axel would do exactly this – crawl inside!

I've also included a sample of my "Birch in Watercolor."  It's so interesting to see the difference between two paintings of essentially the same thing, in two different media.  I really like them both!

If you're interested in the dimensions of the costume rack, let me know and I will beg Jahred for his secrets.

With the onset of daylight savings time, I'm reminded that winter is just around the corner.  Not even 24 hours in, I'm already having trouble keeping my wandering mind busy.

In the last few hours I've added a few new items to my Etsy shop in order to prepare for the Christmas rush (assuming/hoping there will be one).  One thing you'll see in common is the grey wall showcasing my new products.  In every house, I've had to find that "photo-perfect spot," and right in my dining room, here on Scenic Drive, I think I've found it.

Also on the docket today was one wedding clutch.  A friend sent an old wedding dress my way a few months back, with the idea to make a handbag from her dress.  While I didn't have to guts to cut into that vintage beauty this afternoon, I made a practice "frame clutch" from a few scraps I had laying around.  I think I'll need about 85 more practice rounds before the real deal.

When you're child is an exception to nearly every rule, he may want to be a "groom" for Halloween.

Forget the popular Disney characters, even something spooky, my little Axel has insisted on being a groom for months now.  I've had little success in convincing him otherwise.

Savers provided a sweet little suit for my groom and only one detail was left to my creative devices.  The boutonniere.

Here is a quick tutorial of how to make Axel's Daisy Boutonniere.

Materials:
2 - 2"x2" squares of yellow fabric
1 - cotton ball
2 - 5" pieces of wire
1 - roll of floral tape (you'll only need about 2 yards
1 - sheet of tissue paper

To make the stamen of each flower: Take the fabric, half of the cotton ball and one end of the piece of wire and make a little "package."  Seal the fabric bundle to the wire and continue to wrap the wire in floral tape.

Fold your piece of tissue paper accordion style (back and forth like you're making paper-dolls).  Cut a piece about 3" high.  Scallop the top (no need to measure, just make the scallops as small as you can with your scissors) and cut 3/4 of the way to the bottom, at the base of each scallop.

Begin wrapping your loooong strip of petals around your stamen.  You will need to pinch the base of the petals in, but just keep rolling it.  When you're finished winding it, secure with floral tape, again wrapping the wire stem.

Make two of these.  Wrap them together with the floral tape.  Trip the wire stems and wrap the tape around the bottom of them.  Arrange petals so they look pretty.

It was Merry Christmas to me last weekend as my mom surprised me with a painting class.  Jeff Boutin is a Minnesota native and accomplished painter.  His works can be seen in exhibitions throughout the country, but more locally in Hudson, WI and Minneapolis, MN.

This weekend I was lucky enough to participate in his "Fall Birch" oil painting class and was so pleased to come away with something beautiful!

Here are a few pics of what I managed to create!

Here we go!  A blank board and lots of ambition.

Was I supposed to bring my own color wheel?

This looks frightening.

I assure you, the red seemed like a good idea at the time.

I forgot to take pictures for a while.  Adding the trees was really intense.  This was the next time I paused.

My pallet looks like this now.

Leaves are so difficult.  I told Jeff (we're on a first name basis) that teaching his techniques is brilliant job security.  Right about here I was about to pop into the gallery, choose a gorgeous birch painting off the wall, pay him the several hundred/thousand dollars and be done with it.  Seriously, I was starting to think there was no hope in sight.

...and then I brightened it up a bit and started to fall in love.

This is the final picture I snapped of it before taking in home every so gingerly in my trunk.  It looks much prettier in person, and I can't wait to frame it.

I'll be sure to post a pic once it is proudly on my wall.  What a great x-mas present, from my mom, for me, by myself.

I thought this would be such a cute picture...Axel climbing to get at his ghosts, made fresh for our new yard.  I didn't take into account that he may be terrified clinging to a limb with only his tiny hands.  Bummer.

Here's a close-up of a ghost.  Muslin, stuffed with plastic shopping bags, felt eyes.  Total cost of these babies, $0.  I did have all of the materials already, but if I had to purchase the fabric, I would guess about $2 each.

Trees, pumpkins, what's the difference?  This kid will hug anything that grows.

Axel saw a pair of witch legs in a store and thought it was such a funny idea he couldn't stop laughing.  Not wanting to spend $20 on them, we stitched up a pair of our own today. Although I again had the materials necessary, if I had to purchase them, 1/4 yard each of two felt colors, the total price would have been about $1 plus a piece of scrap ribbon.