DIY: textured baby cloths

Many years ago I was fortunate enough to meet a most gracious and inspiring woman whose life's work was in the field of infant development. Magda Gerber was her name and she was one of the creators for the RIE theory of infant care and development. She and Dr. Tom Forrest, M.D.  carried a profound belief that an infant knows innately when she or he is ready for each stage in their development. Rooted in respect for the child and Dr. Emmi Pikler's groundbreaking program developed after WWII, the Resource for Infant Educarers philosophy appears to contradict everything modern parents do to create the best environment for their children.  Appearances, however can be deceiving.  I am not so fortunate to be a parent but I have made it my life's work studying infants, children and people in general and have seen what RIE can do. Words cannot describe the profound autonomy and sense of self a RIE child develops. I can go on and on and on about this but I won't...not today at least.

Today I bring to you an easy-peasy tutorial to create your own textured baby cloths. In a RIE household you may see very little traditional playthings, especially for infants. This does not mean that infants are not allowed toys or manipulatives, it just means there are a great less bells and whistles about. Silk scarves, empty cups and balls often make an appearance. In a RIE household, infants and toddlers are free to explore the world around them when and if they are ready. Keeping a few engaging "toys" as it were within reach without forcing them on your young one is key. Stick with me here and I'll share an easy DIY to create your own texture (sensory) cloths for babies. All you need is a small stack of fabric in various weights and textures and access to a sewing machine. Come along for the ride, won't ya?

Materials:

*Six pieces of fabric at least 12" X 12" in various textures

*Scissors

*Pins

*Sewing Machine

*One sheet of 12" X12" scrapbook paper or ruler and blank paper

*Iron

Gather your scraps up and iron out any wrinkles or creases you might have. I used a heavy canvas, flannel, quilter's cotton, a micro fiber cloth, corduroy and seersucker. You can also use wool felt, terry cloth, velvet, etc. Anything with a nice feel and/or knap to it.

Using a square sheet of scrapbook paper as your pattern, cut six pieces (one in each fabric) 12" X 12" square. You can go as small as 8" if you like but keep them large enough to be engaging.

Pair up your fabrics and prints and pin them together, right sides facing in.

 Bring to your sewing machine and stitch all the way around your pinned squares leaving a two inch or so open tunnel of sorts. This serves two purposes. 1) The opening will allow you to turn all that happiness right-side out and 2) the extended "tunnely" bits will tuck nicely back into the form so you can get a clean seam when you close it off. 

 Trim excess fabric, snip corners off without cutting into the threads and turn right-side out.

You may need to use the eraser end of a pencil or perhaps a chopstick to get your corners happy. 

 Pop the tunnel channel into the opening and use a hot iron to press seams flat.

Return to your machine and stitch all the way around completely as close to the edge as you can. You can do either a zig-zag or straight stitch, both work here.

Trim threads and admire your handiwork! next time baby is chilling on the floor toss a couple of these dandy textured goodies just out of reach and watch as your wee one engages with their discovery. Knot a corner of one and baby can use it as a teether. Play peek-a-boo, toss in the air, scrunch it up and have fun! There are oodles of ways you and yours can explore a textured baby cloth**

**Stick with flannel and/or terry cloth and you got yourself a happy set of burp cloths as well!

hard to believe...

But today marks the one year anniversary of the day we began our BIG road trip. If yer up for it, you can revisit the feel of the first day here. It's been a nutty ride and still is. Many pros and a few cons thrown in. I'll be posting a lot about the trip as the next three moths pass by. I'm finding I can connect more with our experience now since we've been back for so long. Our lives are still in a bit of an upheaval and times are tough. It's scary isn't it?

unpacking rodney

first night digs

joshua tree

Peg & Gomez: a lurve story

So, when the mister & I returned from our trip and landed with family we soon discovered another new addition to the a-go-go homestead. She was a one-footed Brewer's Blackbird we called Peg. She would hobble about under the swinging bench in the backyard garden calling a out a sharp chip! chip! to any other feathered friend that thought they would enjoy the bench as well. 

We noticed that she liked hanging around and we liked her hanging around. We could hear her call from inside the homestead and she could usually be spotted under her bench or in the birdhouse feeder. For weeks we came to depend on seeing her hobbling about and one day she wasn't there. We wondered if she had traveled on or if something awful had happened. We missed her, our Peg.

Then one day a viola sprouted where Peg would hunker down. The green leaves to greener and soon a single bud bloomed. It was a white and purple viola, larger than all the jump-ups in the garden and of a completely different color. We dubbed it Peg's Garden and hoped we would see her again.

See her again, we did though it was sporadic and without rhyme or reason but anytime we heard the familiar chip! chip! one of us would look out the window and see if we could spot her. There were times when she would be gone for a month or more and there were times when the wind blew so cold or the rain would never end and we worried and wondered.

That Peg is a sharp birdie-o. She takes care of herself. most recently she has returned to the Homestead a-go-go and this time she has brought a friend. A boyfriend at that! I've mentioned him and her, she and him before and am happy to say that they're still hunkering down in the garden and Peg's Garden has grownity-grown-grown-grown as well!

Gomez can be seen swooping and battling it out with the enormous crows (or smaller-than-average Ravens) that lurk about in the neighborhood trees and Peg can be heard chip-chipping at him. I think she has become quite bossy and we all wonder if there is a nest nearby. We hope so!

For the most part, the both of them tolerate us pretty well. Peg leans toward hogging the birdseed that the mama a-go-go fills the birdhouse with and Gomez puffs himself up in a big ball of threat if I get too close. They may nto drop by everyday but they're here at least once a week. I think Peg knows a good thing when she sees it and the sister a-go-go's garden here is a pretty good deal.

So there you have it, a little love story about a one-footed bird we call Peg and her purple-black prince, Gomez. And yes, I am that old-ladyish. I love watching them birdies, I really do!

Mother's Day: Basil Bounty

My mamos was a major plant lover. When she died, there were over a hundred bits of greenery planted in all sorts of wackery in her lovely homespace nestled into the corner of a stucco-ugly condo. There were plants in pots and bowls and jar. Plants in cowboy boots, old flour tins and glass bottles. To amp things up a bit, mamos was fond of the paint and glitter effect so other everyday planters became gilded in a most funky way. From old broken doll parts to lunchboxes and teapots her happy plants had happy if not somewhat disco-fied homes. I am so grateful that much of my design aesthetic comes from her. She was quite talented and people adored her! 

This year will mark twelve years since she died and while the sadness and heartache have faded a bit, it's still there as I suppose it will always be. Mother's day for me can be triple-y steeped in sadness but I try to focus on the good which is my mamos and her love of plants and cooking. This year I have a super quick gift idea that I know my mamos would have adored. 

A be-lovely basil bounty!

All you need is a selection of basil either home-sprouted or garden-store purchased, a handful or so of peat rocks, an awl or other sharp pointy tool, block of scrap wood and a pretty tin, I found mine at the thrift last week.

Place your tin on top of your scrap wood and puncture a series of holes using your awl or punch-tool.

This will help the water drain so your roots don't get too wet. using the wood block will both allow for easier puncturing and keep your work-surface puncture free.

Scatter a handful of small peat rocks or other gravel-y bits.

Gently remove your plants from their containers, taking care to gently squeeze at the roots to separate them a wee bit and place into the tin. I used three plants which almost perfectly filled the tin with soil. I still needed to add a handful of potting soil but that was it.

 Arrange as you will and give them a good watering, enough to dampen the soil, not drown them. Ta-da! A bee-yoo-tee-ful bounty of basil perfect for use in the kitchen this summer. That's the best part. It can be used up before it goes to seed as basil is an annual and will not last much longer than one season (which I am glad to know now as I thought I kept killing it). Happy Gardening and Happy Mother's Day to you lucky, lucky ones!

changing times

I suppose. With all the job-hunting and soul searching that has been going on as of late, I've been thinking a lot about courtesy, service and expectations. I am quite aware that I have HIGH expectations for most everything. I'm sure it exasperates some people I know and I may even be whispered about in not-too-kindly manners but here's the thing, I don't care. I've been told I was high strung, emotional, unbending, etc and in some ways I am but really, I'm not. I just believe in quality interactions and am a bit like Horton. I meant what I said and I said what I meant and all that jazz.

I never understood the act of saying one thing while meaning another or um, LYING. I'm not a fan of insincerity and have stupidly high values when it comes to moral judgment. If you don't have anything nice to say...It doesn't mean I think I don't make mistakes, if anything I am hyper-critical of myself which is very annoying for me and for those who have to listen to me when I am tearing myself up (thank you YOU, you and YOU!) I am keenly aware of my faults (save for those I don't know I have...heehee) and the moment I'm away from a situation say a job interview, party or conversation with a friend, the deconstruction begins and I panic that I talked too much (I always do) or said too much or didn't say enough or was too negative or too positive or...or...or? Frankly it makes me wonder why anyone would put up with me (and I so appreciate those of you who do, I really do).

And I'm rambling but there is a sort of point or maybe a reminder to myself. I had a job interview last week that was sorely disappointing in the lack of respect and professionalism on the part of the interviewer.  I came home to vent about it left and right and it made wonder if it had been so long I forgot how to interview but here's the thing, I used to hire people. I used to hold interviews. I know how to interview. I know how to be interviewed. It's enough to make me wonder if it had been so long that the process had changed or is it that technology has changed us? A friend mentioned that there is a lack of face to face interactions these days and maybe that was the case and in some ways I believe she is right. With younger people perhaps this would be true but can Facebook, twitter and all the rest change us that much in such a short period of time? Wait, I know that answer. Strike it, reverse it. Sigh.

And to toss another stick onto the fire, yesterday I left feedback for an Amazon seller that was FAIR. Sure we got the item in time and it was what they said it was. All in all it was a fair transaction. This morning I receive an email from the seller asking me to remove my NEGATIVE feedback and for a moment I felt really bad and wondered if I had done something wrong but after thinking of it I know I didn't. See, it was a fair transaction. Not good and not bad. If we all continue to leave GOOD or EXCELLENT feedback because we were delighted to receive our items in the time alotted we're doing everyone a disfavor. Purchases should arrive on time, don't you think?

I'm really feeling like an old fuddy-duddy but I refuse to lower my expectations. Keeping them high will weed out the riff-raff and keep me connected to making sure that I, in return, offer only the best of myself to my family, my friends, customers, readers and even those random interactions in job interviews or while walking around town. Some of my best is even letting you see me at my worst for what am I without being me, warts and all?

Too Many Words

 So much so that the noggin has went on vacation and um, my internal server has shut down. Not that anything bad has happened, it hasn't. nor has anything good...it's just the same old, same old. Some good moments, some meh moments. You know....life.

I have been in the bad habit of awaking suddenly with a thought that becomes a post or composition of sorts as it tumbles about in my head. I mentally tap out the story, crossing out lines, editing, erasing and adding exclamation points until I am lulled back to slumber. When I awaken, there is a sweet aftertaste of thought and I will myself to get up and write it all down, to hit publish and free the mind but instead I get distracted with other things and now I have nothing to offer. Well, nothing brilliant. Here's what I do have, however...

*dirt under my fingernails and sunflowers in the garden

*homemade quinoa salad in the fridge. pink salad at that.

*a bag of coco-roos in the pantry 

*the twitterings of the finches outside the window

*a mug of hot tea

*a new playlist on pandora

*a list of things to do that is far too long

*butter getting soft on the counter

*a stack of magazines to read

and

*a pot of happy black flowers