wild gooseberries...

I’ve always liked the idea of finding edible things in the wild…such as berries like raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, or the currants I discovered growing in our woods a couple years back…or morel mushrooms (a very rare find!)…and there is nothing quite like the taste of wild asparagus, so tender and fresh! So I was especially delighted to find something new this summer growing on our property...wild gooseberries! Earlier in the season, I thought they were a type of currant and I was waiting for them to turn red...but they never changed color. So recently, after doing a little research online, I found out that they are actually smooth, green gooseberries. I think I'll freeze them to use in smoothies...as there aren't too many and it sounds like they can be pretty tart on their own unless cooked into a pie or jam or some other sweet dessert. But still exciting, oui?! :)

a tiny nest, still summer...

While holding my new little baby outside last week, I noticed a tiny Chipping Sparrow building a nest within one of the little Dwarf Alberta Spruce trees we have in our landscaping right up by our house where I was sitting. The bird would work its way into the dense tree carrying one tiny twig in its beak at a time. Just yesterday I carefully pulled back some of the little branches to spy the momma bird sitting upon a tiny nest. After looking at it from another angle, carefully moving more of the pokey branches, I must have scared her off the nest for a moment...but then 3 very little pretty blue eggs were revealed. They were similar in color to Robin eggs but so much smaller.The momma bird hopped about on the ground near my feet and jumped up on our porch, never going very far from her precious little eggs. And we let her be then so she could get back on the nest. Being a new momma myself, I now fully understand not wanting to be very far from my little newborn.
This little nest made me happy too...to know that it's still summer...birds are still building nests. Because I've been in a haze of newborn-ness lately (a very good haze of course!) and I'm sure this summer will whiz by without many of the usual hallmarks of summer for me, as tending to my newborn is shifting all other priorities or things I used to do, but I'm realizing nothing is more important. And no other summer will be quite as special in this way ever again.
.....
P.S. On a totally different note, would you like to see a few photos of a recent lovely wedding? It just so happens to be a Minnesota wedding too. The bride ordered a LillyBonBon cake topper for her wedding cake and you'll see a photo of that as well, all right here!

the waiting is over...

...and it's a sweet baby boy!

We were blessed with an adorable, healthy, darling boy a little over 2 weeks ago! Of course blogging and most everything else has taken a backseat as I've been spending most of my time kissing these precious little feet.

xo ~L

waiting and sewing...

This week I've been sewing lots of little things, despite my numb/tingling/painful right hand. I couldn't help myself...I needed to create and help take my mind off of waiting for baby to arrive. This is just one of the little things I made: My first attempt at a hotpad/potholder (or "pothad" as I can't help calling them). I got a bundle of some lovely fabrics recently for my birthday that had just been waiting to be put to use in some form.

And I've been trying to do a bit of gardening too, yet it's getting more difficult to bend down so low. But Hub has been a big help too as I point out where to plant what, what needs to be trimmed back, or sprayed to prevent the deer/bunnies from munching on. Bleeding Hearts...when they were just beginning to bloom, but are much larger now!Tiarella or Foam Flower...with a new little gnome. Anemone...so sweet, this is the first year they've actually thrived in my garden! I love these little purple-ish/blue wildflowers that appear in our woods each Spring...although I still can't identify them! I've searched through all of my wildflower books and even googled "bluebell-like flowers" and still no luck! I'm not sure why but I really would like to know what to call these dainty blue flowers. So the mystery continues...

...as does the waiting!

an unexpected evening hike...

The other night, Hub took me on this crazy "hike" just as the sun was setting. While I was thinking we were planning on walking leisurely along a trail...he went "off-road" (or rather "off-trail"). Being just days away from having a baby and wearing clogs, it was an interesting "hike" to say the least. Climbing uphill over large uneven rocks, there were little pink wild blueberry flowers and moss-covered rocks at our feet. And while dodging tree branches, bushes, and weeds, there were gorgeous trees filled with white blossoms all around us. It was refreshing and so pretty out at that time of day with the setting sun behind us and a pastel sky painted over the Lake. Sometimes the "unexpected" is good!

tiny cardigan...

As I talked about in a previous post, I finished my knitted cardigan for our soon-to-arrive baby! I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. It is so tiny & soft & cozy! I love the book this pattern came from and only wish my hands weren't so bad so I could knit a matching hat and/or socks with the remaining yarn. Unfortunately, in these last few weeks of pregnancy I've been having trouble with numbness/carpal tunnel syndrome which has rendered me pretty useless now when it comes to doing what I love...using my hands to create things. It is forcing me to take things easier though which I guess is a good thing! Typing is right up there with knitting in the "things I probably shouldn't be doing" category so blogging is pretty much out for now too, I guess. Hoping this baby comes soon and my hands return to normal as well!

little handmade gifts

Springtime always brings many birthdays and such for me. This year, I decided to give a few handmade touches to some of my gifts. Here're a few recent ones...

This little knitted birdy, made using the same pattern I followed for my bird mobile, was modified a bit into a lady-like sachet by incorporating lavendar into the fill as well.

Another little crafty gift with a springtime touch, a paper butterfly garland.

Pretty simple to put together, this garland was constructed using a punch, pretty papers in pale pinks, greens, creams, and my sewing machine. I wrapped it around sturdy pieces of cardstock glued and stitched together with other little embellishments.

And lastly, little wool felt zipper pouches that I had seen the tutorial for on this fun, inspiring blog last year. They are rather addicting to make, being that you can use up little bits and things to embellish each one however you'd like. I used random colored zippers I'd found at my local thrift shop, vintage seambinding to top off the zipper pulls, and wool felt scraps that I had on hand. To embellish them I used buttons, fabric, flowers, and a bit of embroidery.

They are so fun to make in fact that I think I'll have to make a few more... Now that I've finished my big (little baby) sweater project! (Photos of that to come soon, hopefully!)
Happy crafting! ~L

what is, what's to come...

Marveling today in what is...like my sweet Grape Hyacinths in bloom....a cluster of brilliant white Rock Cress blooming in my garden in the woods. And marveling in what's to come...stems of Wild Currant Berry plants surrounding my garden hold the promise of pretty red tart gems later on....spying a wild Trillium plant, sprouting up at the base of a mossy tree with a flower bud soon to bloom!