'tis the season

found thrity of these vintage japanese ornaments for two ninety-nine at the goodwill today.

they will adorn some of the gifts we are sending out. not sure what i am going to do with the rest of them. (sam?)

happy day

celebrated birthdays (mine and e's) a little early over at sam's.

she spoiled me with this bag (made by hand, organic cotton lining and thrifted linen, filled with vintage sunset books - which she knows i have a weakness for - and the sweetest danish modern cream and sugar set.

and e with this.



(and you worried she might be too old - for this cuteness?? she loves it!)

thanks honey. you spoil us. xo

hanging out

a wonderful (but hot) weekend here in the southland. temps in the high 90s. perfect for trying out our new solar clothes drier! I had been going on to d about how much i wanted a clothesline. how perfect this climate is for it. he was a little apprehensive about having our skivvies hanging around the backyard, but after drying 3 loads of laundry in one day he was impressed. (that and the announcement from our 83 yr old neighbour that she has been married 53 yrs and has never owned a conventional clothes drier. 53 yrs of hanging it out on the line!)

of course the clothesline purchase was debated with my dear friend before i settled on make and model. sam and i are usually on the phone or email to each other at least once a day. (though we live in the same city we are at opposite ends - 30 miles - and about 30 degrees F apart.) we are usually conversing about various "mom" issues including separation anxiety; what kind of toothpaste the kids like best, and meets our requirements as well; where to find a kid-friendly restaurant near downtown; the pressure to have a huge blow out bday party for a child's 3rd birthday; and just how to raise socially and environmentally conscious kids, by example, on a budget. we decided a little while back to put down some of our "findings" on a blog. another way to keep our conversations going. at first it was just us, then a couple of others stumbled across it, and now we thought we would open it - hang it out there so to speak. please come by for a visit. we would love to hear your comments and suggestions on what is on our minds. you can find us here at www.twogreenchickens.blogspot.com.

happy monday!

weekend in review

so no "smockets" were made. the temps soared into the 90s. (this scares me. it really does.) and my time "making" ended up being limited to an "artist's apron" for a birthday girl. and plans for our yard to go"native". goodbye sprinkler system and traditional lawn (which is dead anyway), hello ceanothus and yarrow. much time was spent chasing after these two - who we were puppy sitting for our neighbours. oh. my. they. are. cute. and yes, now all talk has turned to how we "neeeeedddd" a puppy of our own. (and that was just me!)

in the midst of all this, fried chicken from Dinah's was eaten. (yes, a guilty pleasure.) and a much coveted turtle arrived. (the image above.) both courtesy of sam. (thank you thank you!)

and so it is monday. children were dragged out of bed to make it to school on time. i absolutely detest having to wake my kids. it is a rare occasion as they are usually up with the sun, but this time change thing... there is nothing worse to me than trying to rouse those beautiful warm and cozy dreamy bodies. i just want to watch them doze on. but alas, the school bell rings at 7:55 for us...

and lastly, i am thrilled to be part of Sew Green, a collaborative effort concerning our environment/consumerism/consumption/sustainability... instigated by "a rave and a rant". thank you shash for the inspiration and getting me thinking. (and thank you lisa, for bringing me in.) go check it out!

happy monday!

project found

so sam and i have decided this is what we will start our project with. forgoing the gingerbread motif. (but hoping to revisit it during our "christmas in july" crafting blitz.) i am going to try and make a matching bonnet a la angry chicken. we are all "little house" over here right now. to the point where the big bug will only answer to "mary", and insists that d (or should i say "charles") call me "caroline".

now what fabric should i go with? sam's ideas here...

818 to 310

when i moved here 10 yrs ago, i was so lucky to meet this lady. we moved here from different countries to attend the same program. we ended up staying here. meeting our husbands. getting married within a week of each other. having kids . . . sewing, blogging (she's the one who got me going) . . .

while we are still in los angeles per se. we live quite a distance apart. at opposite ends of it all. sometimes with a 30 degree temperature difference. sometimes 20 minutes apart. sometimes 120 minutes apart. (god bless the 405 freeway.) in different area codes (me - 818 / she - 310)

for me she is the queen of thrifted fabric. she has a keen eye and impeccable timing. and i am often the lucky recipient of her finds. (as the package i just received above attests to.)

so we have a new deal going. an on-line sewing support group. trying to keep each other motivated this year. and a "christmas in july" holiday crafting blitz.

so what should we start with sam? something from here? or should we try starting with the same fabric and see where it takes each of us? let me know...