a little gnomey hat


i have wanted to make one of these little gnomey hats since i first saw ella's kiddos wearing them a couple of years ago. when i heard the news that i would be an aunt (yay!), i knew exactly what to knit up this new bundle of sweetness. 


this little project was off the needles just as quickly as it was on making for a very satisfying knit. i found the pattern here & i love the results. i made a few adjustments & decided to knit the hat in the round. i used leftover yarn in a wool blend for easy washing. i also made it a bit bigger so he can grow into it as my little nephew oliver will be due in early april just as it is warming up here. 


with all of the excitment of a new babe, i have started peeking at the baby section at the local thrift. i picked up this little outfit for just under a dollar & added a little handmade touch of simple embroidered hearts. 


i cannot wait to meet little ollie!

oh & one more thing- the quilt is FINISHED! here's just a peek!


happy monday!


love,
natalie

p.s. if you are not a knitter, you can pick up a gnomey hat of your own from ella's darling etsy shop!

february goals



in february 2013, i will:
- say no to sugar
- finish my first quilt
- drink coffee from home

-----------------------

february is one of my favorite months & i cannot wait to make it even better by choosing how i care for my body, my time & my money! i will slowly but surely finish my first quilt & only drink coffee from home. instead of conveniently stopping by the coffee shop because "i need a pick-me-up!" or "i worked hard! it's time for a reward!," i will bring coffee from home or brew some at my office. the only exceptions: quality time with my husband/date night & work-related meetings.

finally, i will say no to white & brown sugar this month. it's the perfect time (the month of chocolate! ack!) to take care of my body & fill it with good stuff. i will enjoy fruits, honey & the occasional maple syrup as an alternative. i am ready to choose health, friends.

i'd love to hear yours...!

happy february!

love,
natalie

recap:: january goals



this week will go down in history as the week of the plague. 


i was feeling a bit under the weather during the farming conference this past weekend- a sore throat, some coughing, low energy. you know where this is going. as we drove home on sunday afternoon, those three hours felt like an eternity. my entire body- even my teeth, people!- ached. i could barely speak from the sore throat & lack of energy. as soon as we arrived home, i crawled into bed. luke checked my temperature & a high 101 concluded that i was indeed sick.

a doctor's vist & some meds later, it was confirmed- i had the flu. luke has the patience of an angel & prepared miso soup, super food smoothies & a plethora of other get-well-soon! foods.

on tuesday night, just as i was feeling well enough to lift my head without feeling dizzy, i felt something in my hair. i had noticed earlier that my head was extra itchy, but it's january so hey! a dry scalp is pretty normal. as i pulled the living creature from my hair & looked closer, i kind of freaked out. i had spent the week before with a bunch of adorable, preciously dirty & germy elementery school kiddos who had passed on this beautiful case of the flu. in my state of insanity, i googled "head lice" & was shocked to find that the little bug in my palm matched the one on the screen. 

i bawled my eyes out. a few phone calls later, i called my dear friend & lice expert & bawled some more. she told me what to do & luke was out at the store in less than a second. in the dark hours of the night, i was in a ball on the floor with my head propped over the tub, weak & achy with a fever, while luke sprayed my head with a mix of listerine & tea tree oil using what he referred to as "a spray bottle"... also known as an industrial sprayer with a hand pump used to spray compost tea. that night i looked extra gorgeous with wet hair covered in a plastic shower cap while i slept. 

so needless to say, i have been quarantined from all of society. today i am feeling a bit of lifted spirits & hope to leave my dark & lonely cave by saturday. until then, this has been the perfect time to wrap up my january goals. after all that, do you even care about the success of my goals? we'll see...


1. wedding album: i had high hopes for you. after a bit of poor planning & film negatives that took three weeks to scan from our local film shop, i failed miserably. i thought i might get it done by the end of this month if i rushed, but no one wants a rushed wedding album. so, i'm not letting the guilt get to me. i have one huge step behind me & hope to finish the album by spring. 


2. read & complete a book: i finished 7! the plague was good for something. the ending was just as good as i thought it would be. i love being a book person.


3. drink water: i drank way more water this month than i usually do during the winter. i noticed that i drink more water when i have lemons & a straw. i also drank one glass of water in the morning before any coffee or tea & that was a great way to start my day. i think this new goal is sticking.

i'll be back tomorrow with fresh goals for february!

love,
natalie

p.s. i have to know. have you ever had head lice?

an exciting weekend






 just a few shots from my mornings this week

i am packing for this weekend's exciting trip to the southern sawg conference- also known as three days of networking & gaining practical tools for sustainable farming practices in the southern region. luke & i have been looking forward to these few days of geeking out with other farmers, foodies & educators since last year's get-together. 

i am packing homemade chocolate oatmeal cookies for the trip, a knitting project to work on inbetween classes & my notebook to fill with inspiring ideas, contacts & tools. i cannot wait to share my findings with you!

love,
natalie

a book review: 7


oh, books. you are wonderful.

my favorite goal this month is reading & finishing one book. it seems so small, but for my lifestyle, it can be a bit challenging. i love books, but finishing a book is really my problem. i go from one issue/topic/title to another & never read that final page. "have you read such & such?" "yes, the first fifty pages of (insert really great book here)!




a lot of folks in this space & instagram have asked what book i picked up. i haven't finished yet (hey! i still have 8 days left!), but i thought it might be of some interest to you to know. this month i chose 7: an experimental mutiny against excess by jen hatmaker


i love this book & it has radically changed my life & perspective in a really quiet way. let me explain. this book is ultimately about fasting from excess to allow more room for God to move. jen & her family "took seven months, identified seven areas of excess, and made seven simple choices to fight back against the modern-day disease of greed, materialism & overindulgence."

 i am very intentional about not sharing my spiritual life in a way that you as a reader might find uncomfortable. of course, if you read between the lines i hope you find that i do have that inner peace that is found in a higher being. above all, my choice to live an intentional life is rooted in God. my husband and i believe that we are to care for the earth, protect our resources & use them wisely, grow food & care for our neighbors because in the beginning, we were called as humans to do so. 



all of that being said, this book has quietly, yet radically, changed my life because instead of choosing to strip myself of all of my possesions & live in a cardboard box, i am asking myself at the store, "do i really need that?" i haven't quit my job to serve in a small village overseas, but my perspective on how i can meet others needs here with my unearned privileges & overabundance of resources has radically shifted. in my own quiet way, i am finding ways to give rather than purchase, make rather than consume, resist rather than give in.


& i believe that's the whole point of 7. how do we share community, live fuller lives, raise families & work where we are without giving it all up because of guilt or frustration for what we have & others don't? i think it's through our daily, intentional choices & challenging ourselves to fight the excess- to really investigate where our possessions are made & our food is grown, to find ways to meet the needs of our neighbors & love them, to use our time effectively so we can live lives that bear good fruit.

i am excited about reading the final pages of this book. i hope you'll pick it up, too.

love,
natalie

retreating

























we retreated to a cabin near the lake for our annual family retreat. luke's family began this tradition when he was just a wee tot & now that i have been added to the family, it's my favorite tradition of all- one that we will adopt when we have a family of our own. luke's mother & i dreamed this weekend of one day having the families of all of the siblings gathered together to dream up what that year might hold. for now, though, we snuggle together, all seven of us, to dream & set goals & enjoy each other's company.

we played games (monopoly deal, anyone?), made sushi rolls & had dessert with (almost) every meal. i knitted while luke ordered medicinal herb seeds for our summer garden. we napped & took early morning walks while it was still dark. 

what a wonderful year it has been & will continue to be.

happy monday!

love,
natalie


cabin getaway packing essentials



this evening we are leaving for our family retreat & heading to a cabin nearby. we gather with luke's parents & siblings each year, exchanging goals for the new year & reflecting on the previous. we draw & read, snack & talk, hike & play outdoor games. it's truly the most relaxing weekend & i savor it every year. 

since my first family retreat a little over three years ago, i've slowly perfected my packing essentials & would like to share some of those with you. if you happen on an opportunity to unplug in a cabin with loved ones, this packing list is for you!


1. snacks & tea. luke's parents are often the ones responsible for our menu (each meal voted on & agreed by the majority with special modifications for the extra picky), but i like to surprise the family with a few snacks & special drinks. this year i am bringing popcorn with fun toppings & my favorite chocolate chip cookies when a sweet treat is needed. i also like to bring an assortment of teas along with a few of my favorite mugs to make our space feel a little more 'at home.' 



2. layers. the weather is often unpredictable so i bring a small zip-up bag of comfortable layers. i always pack a pair of jeans for hiking along with my favorite wool sweater with wooden buttons. i like to bring a handful of shirts, including my long-sleeve striped shirt & a few neutral colored v-neck t-shirts to layer on top. i always pack thick socks & slippers to cozy up on the couch along with a few hand knits for walks with my camera.



3. books & projects & cameras. i love having a few projects on hand for those quiet moments in-between family time & meals. i always bring a book & my latest knitting project. this year i am also packing a small canvas bag of scrapbooking materials to finish our vacation photo book (more on that later!) from this summer. of course, let's not forget the several rolls of film & the three cameras i am carrying along to capture those special moments.



i am excited to see what this year's retreat brings! see you monday, friends!

love,
natalie

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