best of 2012

i painted this watercolor a few days ago not realizing it's real significance on this past year's happenings & the amazing adventures of 2012. it's true. life is a daring adventure full of good & not so great, joy & heartbreak, loss & gain & above all else- so much love.

i want to share some of the highlights of my year with you. this is one of my favorite posts to write because it reminds me of where luke & i have been & where we are going. sometimes life feels a little stagnate & aimless, but reflecting on our year reveals to me that we're headed in the right direction although the path may be a little curvy at times. 

january- 

the very beginnings of print:: a year in film, a trip to madison where we fell in love with the people & the place, a family retreat in a cabin where we made goals & began anew

february-

our first (& only) snow of the year, finally feeling at home in our new town, celebrating love with a homemade heart t-shirt, attending our favorite documentary film festival with the best of friends

march-

planting seeds in our raised beds, writing at tend once more, collecting our first eggs (!!) from the coop, beginning my first full-time job post graduation

april-

celebrating spring & being ok with me, hanging my first show in columbia, sharing my birthday with my favorite person

may-

our beautiful spring garden, wild blackberry bushes found behind our fence, strawberry pickings for jam

june-

the beginnings of instagram with a bowl full of cherry tomatoes, heartbreak at the loss of two of our chickens to the heat of the summer, deciding to move to luke's hometown on faith & a spark of hope

july-

missing luke but adjusting slowly to the distance, a trip to denver, finding balance in our new community, celebrating summer with a squawk & pop social

august-

celebrating three years with the perfect homemade card, celebrating once more with friends for luke's birthday! we love august festivities!

september-

settling into our new home, finding my rhythm in the kitchen once more after the long summer heat, an exciting sunday afternoon of applesauce makings, finally finding where i belong in my work life

october-

catching the knitting bug & completing my first knitted hat, our annual war eagle trip, adding little dandy to our family

november-

the blur of november. an unforgettable trip down the coast of california, celebrating obama's win at the LA watch party with dear friends, slowing down for thanksgiving with full hearts

december-

photo by keely yount photography 

an amazingly successful show , slowing down to enjoy this holiday season with sweet friends & family, looking forward to what adventures are ahead

oh, thank you so much for following along throughout this year. it wouldn't be as sweet & as creative without you in it! happy, happy new year to you! 2013 has so many good things in store!

love,

natalie

holiday makings recap

this winter i have a real serious case of the knitting bug. in the midst of the flurry of holiday makings, you would find me on the couch beneath a quilt or two with a cup of tea & needles in hand knitting away at a project for a family member, dear friend, or... myself! oh, there were plenty of lotion concotions, lip balm creations, peppermint bark making & a bit of sewing here & there, but i was most excited about my hand knit gifts this year.

here's just a little recap of a few projects i made:

a cowl for a dear friend from this pattern. it was very easy & only took a couple of hours. i purchased the buttons half price from jo ann's back in november & i just love them.

i gifted this hat to my brother on christmas day. he asked for a vintage-inspired hand knit hat with a large pom pom & the vermonter fit the request! i absolutely love this quick pattern & plan to make a few more.

& of course no winter season is complete without a mug rug. this one is made from leftover deliciously wooly & bright yarn from another project. it makes me smile & was inspired by sweet sara! 

we hope you had a warm & cozy handmade holiday this year! i'll be back on monday with my best of 2012! 

p.s. you can find me on ravelry here.

love,

natalie

for the birds

these last few days have been spent doing a bit of last minute elfing. we have completed a few hand knit projects (except for that one to be completed on the car ride- oops!), wrapped gifts with twine &  packaged jams & butters just before leaving home for the holidays.

when inspiration strikes though, no matter the moment or time, we must act. especially for our dear grandparents (papa & grandma... do not read any further!).

above is one of the handful of sunflower bird feeders we made for each set of grandparents. the perfect gift for a lover of bird watching.

the how- to is very simple & takes only a few minutes. luke dried a basket full of sunflower heads he grew on the farm this summer. he drilled the hole while i collected found objects from our neighbor's yard & nearby trail. i tied a bundle of greenery, berries & a small pinecone with gardener's twine. i then tied the bundle to the string attached to the sunflower head to add a bit of color. tie a bow at the top & it can easily be hung from any bird feeder hook or branch. package in clear wrap with red twine & gift to a loved one!

in just a few minutes, we are road tripping home to visit with family & friends. our hearts are full of love as we reflect on the community we share both home & in this space. luke & i wish you a very merry christmas. thank you for follow along this year & the many more to come!

love,

natalie

p.s. the winner of the homemade lavender hand salve is sherrie! her favorite handmade gift idea is...

"My favourite gift that I've made this year is a beeswax wood polish. I'm wrapping it prettily with a 

cutting board made by a local woodoworker and giving it to some great friends who love to cook."

please email me at natalie.j.freeman(at)gmail.com to accept your gift!

handmade holiday gift exchange & a giveaway

our home is so very different this year than last. the stockings have yet to be hung & i still have a few gifts hidden in the closet to be wrapped. our home is not perfectly festive this year with everything complete weeks ahead of time, but we're sharing it with others. our home is open to parties, knitting groups & dinners this year. our table is decorated with delicious foods & is just the right spot for good conversation. we're celebrating among friends & family & it feels wonderful.

last night i hosted a handmade holiday gift swap with a small group of crafty friends. we knitted together while sipping on red wine & cocoa. laughter, knitting & drinks really are the perfect combination for a festive night. we exchanged gifts & i received such a beautiful hand knit head wrap from a dear friend. i had so much fun creating a little goodie bag full of homemade potions & lotions. i wish i would have taken a photo, but inside included a glass jar of homegrown herbal tea, my favorite homemade lip balm, homegrown lavender milk bath salts, a tin of hand salve & a pretty thrifted mug.

i still have a few tins of lavender hand salves from my merry making this week. in the spirt of this giving season, i would love to gift one to you. please leave a comment sharing your favorite handmade gift idea & your email address. a winner will be chosen this friday at 8 a.m. & announced on my blog.

happy winning, friends!

love,

natalie

bits of home this holiday season

these days we are staying close to home, enjoying the warmth of family & this magical season. i want 

to share with you a few bits of our home & the simple pleasures we so much enjoy this time of year.

i have found so much pleasure in knitting this year- more so than ever really. almost-completed knitted hats, cowls, coffee cup cozies & an assortment of other hand knits wait on the needles until a spare moment comes when i can finish them just in time for various gift exchanges. i hope to share some of my projects with you after the holidays!

this book is one of my absolute favorites, gifted to me by a dear friend. stephanie tourles does such a good job of making you feel comfortable in the kitchen with a handful of natural ingredients. i've successfully made several recipes & plan to work on a few more to tuck into stockings & add to holiday baskets. 

dreaming of soapmaking & hoping santa slips a few soapmaking supplies under the tree. looking forward to oatmeal blends & handmade lavender soaps, but challenging myself to remain thankful for what i do have & can create right now.

absolutely loving my handmade envelope wallet by sarah of miss money bags. i nervously messaged her several months back with a request to trade one of her wallets for a bundle of my photography. she warmly said yes & soon sent a little package with this beauty inside. it is perfect for managing our spending throughout the year, but i especially love how useful it has been during the holidays. luke & i set aside a specific amount of cash for gifts & i have tucked it away in the "gifts" envelope until that special something for a sweet someone catches my eye. i just love that we can support vibrant artists during this gifting season.

i recently received a holiday package from my dear friend, jess, & her family. inside was beautifully wrapped jar of winter tea. it is absolutely delicious & has been so comforting during the chilly mornings & evenings. 

loving the thoughtfulness & creativity of this season. how are you finding warmth & comfort this season?

love,

natalie

around here.

still feeling a bit quiet but here are just a handful of thoughts

+ wondering how this space will change in 2013. a new look perhaps, maybe more focus.

+ knitting & finding my rhythm there.

+ choosing one media area in my life & letting it go for one week: facebook. time is already freeing itself up for cleaning the studio, wrapping gifts, making peppermint bark & homemade marshmallows.

+ jotting down ideas & a small (very small) budget for re-doing our shared studio space.

+ a bit of thrifting today for some last minute elfing. 

love,

natalie

little moments

little moments collected throughout the week.

+ the light this time of year is so, so gorgeous

+ working with my hands feels good - knitting, baking, making, creating

+ sweet potatoes ready for roasting - in all different shapes & sizes

+ trying to be mindful about our money & what simplicity looks like for us in this season

love,

natalie