lady i swear by all flowers

POSTCARD FROM PRAGUE

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I finally (finally!) was able to get my film from the trip developed.  And I'm ready to finally (finally!) dig into fulfilling the perk rewards from the fundraising campaign. 

Now I have to figure out which photo to print as the "Postcard from Prague."  These are all from Bila Voda.  I'm wondering, do any of these in particular speak to you?  I have my favorites, but I'm not sure that they are what might appeal to others. 

I'll post a second round of photos tomorrow, but please do let me know in the comments if you have a favorite of these! 

 

Yours,
+Chelsea

SINGLET

I did manage to knit something for Quinn's birthday this year, though it was a day or two late.  I'd been eyeing the pattern for a while, and finally decided to dive in and figure out the translation (from Danish -- google translate was my saving grace) as I went. 

As you can see, the pattern is mostly ribbing in the round (my favorite kind of sit-back-and-let-your-hands-do-the-work knitting).  The only difficult part to translate was the shaping up top -- but even that was fairly intuitive.

I love the weight of this, warm without any bulkiness.  It stretches for a nice, snug fit.  And, of course, the madeleinetosh is a dream.    

Details on ravelry.

+Chelsea

PAN POLISHING WOOD

As I mentioned, I've been going through our old photos and home movies lately, and I came across this, which I always meant to share. 

Pan polishing wood, last summer.  It started with me laying everything out and setting to work.  He very quickly grew interested in what I was doing, and very quickly took over.  He spent over an hour at work, totally focused and thoughtful and careful with the task at hand.  It was such a beautiful thing to watch.

As he will be five next fall, we are preparing to enroll him in a kindergarten program this coming school year.  It feels so grown-up, for all of us.  I think we've found the perfect place for him -- fingers crossed that it all works out!  

(a basic recipe for wood polish found here.) 

Love,
+Chelsea

QUINN'S ALPHABET

There are many times in which I feel Quinn has gotten the short end of the stick.  Even though they are but 14 months apart, Pan came first, and often gets the "best" from it.  He's had the most thought-out birthday parties (Quinn still doesn't even have his own birthday crown, I've just been pinning a "Q" over the "P" for him), the best handmades (or, at least, he gets them first), the new batches of clothes and shoes (and boy is he rough on them).  Quinn is still little enough not to notice, but I do.  So, this year for his birthday, I really wanted to do something special, something just for him, something that Pan hadn't had first.  

His very own book.

He has been very into letters lately, they both have.  They love to recognize "their" letter, and they'll find them in all sorts of things (road signs, tree branches).  I thought, then, that he might really love an alphabet book illustrated with photos of himself.  And he really does.  

I used blurb for the design and printing, and it was fine.  There are a couple of pages where the quality of the image isn't great, and the binding is a little loose, but it's a great size, affordable, and was easy to make. 

I wish I had a scanner to show you how it turned out, but these snaphshots will have to do!

It was so good to go through my flickr photostream, I really didn't have much trouble finding photos to match the letters -- I had trouble choosing my favorites!  I got teary-eyed several times, looking at how much he has grown and changed, even in the past couple of months. 

(I've been doing a lot of that lately, though, looking through old photos and home movies (I love how they play), keeping this little fellas fresh in my sight and heart while so far away from them.  It seems as though every time I get a new photo messaged to me from Sebastian, or one of the aunties, they look older, different.  It's heartbreaking that I am not there for it.)

Please, let me know if you have any questions about making your own photo book.  The blurb templates are easy to use, and offer lots of options for all different kinds of books.  As I'm in a memory-in-photos mode these days, I'm saving up to order a set of these prints (very pricey, but the quality of them just looks so delicious), and hoping to get some of my instagrams printed, as well.  

Truly,
+Chelsea 

keeping track

 

It's been a while since I used a paper planner.  For the past couple of years, I've mostly kept track of things using this online / on-phone calendar.  And it served it's purpose to a certain degree.  However, I've come to realize how much I've missed writing things down, having a consolidated place to put little notes to myself.  After a long search for the perfect one, I found Julie Kostreva's etsy shop, full of notebooks and planners.  I love the cover, but what's more, I love the layout and design of the pages inside.  I really like having lots of unlined space for filling in the day-to-day.  The pages are a nice weight, creamy, and the text and numbering bold.  The only thing I was slightly disappointed by was that the cover is actually a bit glossy and doesn't have the same sort of "expensive" feel as the pages inside.  

(while we're on the subject of things to write in / keep organized with: one way to make bill-paying a more pleasant experience;  my favorite way to annotate books without permanently marking up all the pages;  someday I'd like to learn proper, pretty script-writing;  I can't wait until we have a permanent address.  more of my favorite paper goods on pinterest.) 

What's your preference for keeping track of your schedule?

Yours,
+Chelsea

SOME THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY

*a few more from the many rolls of film I just recently was able to develop.  these were taken at the stone barn harvest fest last fall. 

1. I just discovered that Martha Wainwright released a Piaf Record back in 2009.  Martha and Edith make a most beautiful combination.  It's all I've been listening to over the past couple of my days.  (Speaking of Martha singing other people's songs, have you heard her sing "The Traitor"?  Oh. My. God.  Goosepimples every time).  

2. For the first time in a long while, I am casting on for a knitting project for myself.  Just as soon as this lovely stuff arrives in my little mailbox. 

3. After a long run of preferring more woodsy, warm scents (sandalwood, clove), I've taken a turn for the floral and it is everything rose and jasmine for me these days.  This candle hits the sweet spot. 


What has been brightening up your days lately?

 

+Chelsea

SOME FILM

It's the wonky ones that I love best.

+Chelsea

 

PS: I think that this baby is Quinn.  It must be Quinn.  But, then, that means what a ridiculously long amount of time it has taken me to have this film processed!

Well.

Here I am.  Back in Williamsburg.  In the loveliest, coziest of spaces.  Really.

And my boys are in Kansas.  All three of them.  For the next three months.  Until I finish this thing. 

My days are quiet (a little too quiet), but certainly full (did I tell you that I'm reading all of Proust this semester?  All 4,211 pages of it). 

I'm not totally sure what will come up in this space, while I am away from my little ones.  I've had some ideas about a shift here for a while (a good one, I think).  I didn't have my computer for several weeks, but now I do.  And I have several rolls of film that I was finally able to develop.  And a bit of time that I didn't used to have.

We'll see what happens.

Love, and happy Sunday,
+Chelsea

 

PS:  I've been using my phone to take most pictures these days -- and I load them onto my instagram feed: Ladyiswearbyallflowers.

GOING UP, YOU ARE A GLIDING ASTAIR

I love you, Tom I. Davis.
 

3/25/1934 - 1/20/2013

+Chelsea

 

(a little of his life, here)

SOME THINGS I KNIT LAST YEAR (PART III)

 

 

 

Their Martinmas gifts: water bottle carriers.  The boys did so much hiking this fall, these were really perfect for them (we've been trying to encourage them to carry some of their own gear around).  They're also real nice to hang on the rail of their beds so they can find a drink easily in the night if needed. 

waldorf mama's felted water botttle carrier by shelley caskey in 100purewool worsted merino singles (gray) and manos del uruguay wool classica (highlighter); and in 100purewool worsted merino singles (I no longer have the tags, but, as you can see, I used blue and orange).

+Chelsea