we got mail!

i am so lucky to call so many I've met through these blog pages my friends. i connected with rebecca & family many moons ago. and we all look forward to dropping in on them when we can (and vice versa!).

i was thrilled yesterday to receive this care package. reb took on a month of making - recording it on her blog (this screen blew my mind!) - and i am tickled that we are recipients of some of her creativity, and generosity!



beautifully crafted ceramic house numbers (in a favorite typeface no less!)

and silk bunting for the girls' rooms





thank you rebecca! (your timing was perfect. i needed a little pick-me-up!) we hope to see you all soon! xo

all good stuff

i came home from watering and weeding our school garden to find a package waiting for me. really - for the girls eventually - but for now, i am savouring them. (click to enlarge.)





these sweet paintings are by alice dubois. i have never met alice. but i feel connected to her by fate. a painter inspired by rbk, she sent him a picture in gratitude. it arrived in the weeks after his death - and i returned it to alice - telling her how much i thought he would have liked it - and how sorry i was that it arrived too late for him to see.

i have been watching alice ever since. her work often shows the rbk influence and references and i smile when i think how much he would have loved that. when these gems appeared, i couldn't resist.

thank you alice.



on the home front, i found out late in the month, that our modern-shed is shed of the month. check out the pics - and a short interview with me, before the month is over (april where did you go?) over here.

also, i have decided to try chronicling our house-work separately. we will see how it goes. find it at Jumilla Productions in turn i am bringing this space back to its original name - jumilla stories - which seems to fit better than ever. as always - thanks for checking in!

for my laptop

which i won't be hauling around as much when i have a home office ;)



perhaps it will get more use filled with mail as i ride my bike to our local mbe! (can you tell i am excited about this home office deal?)

i love this bag from moop::handmade bags. it is just the right size. (largish). and has pockets and rings on the interior. the strap feels good on my shoulder and the craftsmanship is fantastic. (living up to their credo.)

i have a lot of thick (thick - about 1/2 inch!) felt around and hope to fashion some kind of cozy for the laptop as well. hmmm...

thanks for the support as always. have a great weekend!

sunshine and rain

feeling oh so inspired by a very sunshine-y and very generous stash of fabric and trim from lisa. (you are my superhero!) can't wait to see her show down in venice. i already have a selection pulled and have started in on a log cabin pillow (in homage) based on the tutorial found here. it's rainy and cooler and i feel very much like playing with my new machine. (yes halloween costumes are on the pile too!)

and i finally broke down and bought some shinzi katoh glasses. i had been on a thrift hunt for juice glasses for the girls - to replace their plastic ikea ones - and just couldn't find any. not quite true. i couldn't find any they would fight over. which may sound counter intuitive but, for some reason, k is very attached to the colourful plastic in our cupboard and i felt a need to go heavy on the cute quotient to draw her away from the "dark side".

it worked. they fight over them. though e prefers the animals and k the bubble girl.

there is another with a donkey that i am soft on. half filled with a good cabernet. a rainy night. my new fabric stash. and my sewing machine.

perfect.

happy wednesday!

xo

my gift to myself. by stephanie. upon opening the box i was so struck by the beauty and simplicity of this. it actually took my breath away. it feels to good to hold. the power of handmade. can't be replicated.

and sitting on my new chair - so good as well. (cross number 11 off my list!)

super.buzzed

i am so looking forward to the weekend. this fabric (and the placemat below) just arrived from superbuzzy and i am set to make another "smocket" or 2.

i am also very excited to be a part of a new collaborative endeavour. with an amazing group of women. but that will have to wait until monday...

have a great weekend.

the littlest birds (sing the prettiest songs)

while it is unseasonably hot and sunny down here it feels a little grey. the arrival of these from the north made it a little brighter...

thanks jan. they are perfect. as is your timing.

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...

miscellany

a few bits that have been on my mind...

i have been meaning to mention the mail we came home to. where do the days go? have we really been home for a week now? i guess so, since the laundry pile has disappeared (thanks d!)

besides the regular, expected piles of magazines and billing statements, there were not one, but two unexpected packages waiting for us. the first was big with exciting looking foreign stamps on it. kristina! i had been wondering what you were up to! (she is occasionally getting caught-up via her brother's computer!) it contained some wonderful danish design magazines (we have chosen a summer home out of one!) and lots of treats for us all. the packaging was a big hit with the girls - as were the contents. there was some chocolate and marzipan too, but for some reason that disappeared very quickly. (ahem.) there was also a long, (gasp!) handwritten letter from kristina. sounds like she may be back on-line soon. and that she is having a wonderful wonderful summer with her family. thank you so much kristina!



then there was a package from the shack house. there were two CDs - the result of her contribution to the kids' CD swap. fun, fun and mellow fun. they are great. perfect mix of kid and adult music that has our whole van dancing! (i need to get the playlist from your carol - some of these voices i can't place and i need to hear more!) thanks carol!

and while in an ideal world i would do more sewing and find more thrifting, the reality is i often end up at target. and i am loving the tees i picked-up from their paul and joe line. don't think i will have the time to check it out here. but it looks very cool. also, for those in l.a., the paul frank store on 3rd is closing down and everything is 50% off until the end of the month. deals to be had!

feeling very inspired by these to get the big bug ready for school and her venture into kindergarten. ah, kindergarten. i never mentioned but on the drive home from our holiday i had a call from the charter school we had so hoped to get into months ago. that our number (43!) was next on the waiting list and that there was a space if we wanted it. we had 24 hours to make the decision. and a rough 24 it was. i know i have talked about this over and over but talking about the girls education just brings out this desire to work to save the public school system and to stress the importance of our community to the girls. so we turned them down. and will continue on the path we set out once we believed that our local school was our only real choice. i am feeling brave. and reassured. and strong. i can't wait to walk her home from school and ask her how her day went, instead of eyeing her in the rear-view mirror while negotiating l.a. traffic. and e is so excited too. we have made the right decision for us.

speaking of back-to-school - i'll be packing lunches. any tried and true favorites out there?

ain't she sweet, eh or an aero through my heart...

pulling into the driveway yesterday i noticed a parcel on the front step. expecting it to be for the little bug (whose bday is tomorrow) i quickly pushed it aside hoping the kids wouldn't see it. a parcel immediately incites a riot at our place - they are so much like me. it is soooo hard to not want to unwrap everything immediately. seems crazy to have to wait until your actual birthday!!

well, on closer inspection i noticed the parcel was for me. ooooh! i wasn't' expecting anything, was i? melissa had said something but it shouldn't be a box this big - should it???

a few months back when i first "met" melissa we quickly realized we were both 'ex-pats' from Western Canada. she was due for a trip home so asked if she could bring me anything back. i thought long and hard about all i miss most. universal health care, 15 weeks maternity benefits followed by 35 weeks parental benefits, the CBC ,Old Dutch ketchup-flavored potato chips, oh and "good good whole wheat" Shreddies (mmmmmm). these all seemed too large and difficult to post. so i settled on an Aero bar.

sooo. this box was much to big for just an Aero bar. well, it wasn't just an Aero bar. sweet melissa had added some extra special goodies!





beautiful bits of fabric and trim for me and tins of stickers and a book (quickly a fave by one of our favorite Canadian authors...) for the bugs.

oh - and wait - of course the Aero bar needed chocolate company!



i so miss canada. though am happy - for the most part - where we are - it works right now. (but i can't wait to drive up the coast next month to our annual holiday on galiano island. i think it is my favorite place on earth...) these treats bring back so many childhood memories...

melissa you really are too sweet. and yes, you did send two Aero bars. alas, one was unavailable for the photo shoot! thank you so very much!

and thanks for reading this long post. feeling quite verbose this friday. perhaps due to all the troubles i had posting anything yesterday. (oh blogger, will i be looking to typepad too??) have a great weekend everyone!

looking forward to participating in another color week (or colour week!). thanks mav and steph for reviving this!

a note of thanks

to all who are awaiting swaps/gifts from me - for being so patient! i thought i'd save up everything so that i'd only have to make one drive to the post office (trying to save petrol you know!) but now i will have a car full! this is the week!!

to hayley. for sharing her fantastic music collection .



to molly. for these beautiful buttons. what to do with them? i can't wait...



and for including some beautiful ribbon from her stash.

to shari. for a sample of her and t's brew. (we have been saving it for a night when no one has to rush anywhere - and tonight is the night!)



and for the lovely fabric, and tea too! and for wrapping it all in bubble wrap! (upon opening the box the little bug whipped off her socks and started to dance!)

to sam. for being such a good friend. for joining me on sunday for a thrifting escapade. and for finding this and letting me take it home!



to my big bug. for not letting me go to work with a plain old travel cup. for insisting it needed some "fancy-ing up".



and to stephanie. for putting me on her "visiting" list. wow! traffic has picked up! i am flattered. i agree on the cute kids, and even the cool house. but feel i need to work on the crafting end of it all!

to all those who participated in the music swap. there seem to be happy feet dancing all over the place! (and if you haven't sent yours out yet - i am right there with you!! where does the time go? as moms we all know too well...)

and to all those who come by. for the words of support and encouragement. and for all those i visit. for opening up their lives, their trials and tribulations, their joy and celebrations. i am touched and honored to be a little part of such an amazing, creative community. and i thank you.

music to my ears

i can't believe that it is friday already. i came down with a flu bug monday. stayed in bed tuesday. felt a bit better by wednesday. and returned in full yesterday.

during all that for some reason i was extra blessed by musical mail this week!

first off there was the fantastic cd put together for me by shari of the glass doorknob as part of lisa's music swap. i love love love it shari. part of the reason i got involved with the swap is that i felt a little out of touch with music that has been released in the last two years or so (since about the time the little bug was born). music has always been a big part of my life. and d's too. (he has a large vinyl collection) but i haven't done much (any?) music purchasing in the last while as our budget stretched with our expanding family! (thank god for kcrw's music programming!) this cd fulfilled my wish and then some (sleater-kinney rocks! where have i been???) the kids were thrilled with the magic of the little sponge capsules - and the postcards included were beautiful too. (not to mention the cd packaging.) i love it all shari. perfect - as you suggested - for my commute. and the tea perfect for my commuter cup! thank you so much.

the next day my husband came in with the mail and asked me why i was getting another cd? i had no idea. until i saw the return address. this one was sent on by my oldest and dearest friend. (i was telling the big bug last night that we met when you played the french horn and i the flute. what a history!) a reminder of where i come from and what i am missing! thanks c. i love it. already on heavy rotation. and you are right on about both bedouin and andy. and who would have ever thought i would be singing along to a song called "i hate winnipeg"? (it isn't what it sounds like - rather about the "pull of home". great article on it, and the weakerthans, found here.) i miss you so.

and of course into the packet from c was a little something for the wee ones. sing-a-long and lullibies for the curious george film - by jack johnson. (in my opinion the saving grace of this movie was the music...) the 3 r's is being played over and over and over and over... (this song was first found on the kid's compilation mary had a little amp - another great kids' cd. can you tell i have the kids' music swap on my mind? hope all have been in touch with their partners!)

and now promises of a cd swap with hayley! very exciting...

so music carried me through the week. what have you been listening to lately?

i did pretty well staying away from my screen. will fill in on the projects from last weekend next week!

have a lovely weekend!