Winter Gardening

Last weekend was spent shopping for bulbs and then planting them. My goal is to keep us outside even as the weather gets colder. 

As we were walking to "Rehm's" (our local gardening center), I was thinking of all the great shots I would get of the munchkin admiring the plants. Although when we arrived, he had plans of his own, he had found the centers cat, Daisy :) We spent the majority of time chasing the cat around and trying to pet her! 

A great lesson to stay in the present, it really is a gift!

We eventually did get around to looking at the plants....wow!

The next day we dug up some compost, and planted the bulbs.

Nice and warm for the winter!

Holiday Projects

After a long hiatus I have finally returned to one of my crafting loves....crochet....

Here are two gifts I am working on

(both are from www.lionbrandyarn.com/patterns)

This one is a secret....shhhh

Can you guess what it is?

Last year I started an Amigurimi doll for my son. 

I was not happy with it then, but giving it a second chance has given it new life!

(This is my new philosophy)

Taking a second look

Personality taking shape 

All he needs are his eyes!

A fitting fall dinner

This week I did something this crafty DIYer rarely does, I successfully made a delicious fall dinner from scratch! I had two small pumpkins from our halloween decor, and wanted to put them to good use. So I found this recipe in a circular from our local Sunflower Farmers Market. Originally it is from Christina Cooks, by Christina Pirello.

Here is the recipe!

Roasted Pumpkin and Carrot Soup - Series 6 
This soup creates a serene strength and a calm disposition. By normalizing 
our blood sugars, this soup keeps our emotions on an even keel, keeping 
opera-like drama out of our lives and on the stage. 

What You'll Need
2 small sugar pumpkin, seeded 
extra virgin olive oil 
sea salt 
1 small yellow onion, diced 
3-4 carrots, diced 
grated zest of 1 lemon 
1 tablespoon mirin or white wine 
2 cups spring or filtered water 
1 cup plain soymilk 
2 teaspoons sweet white miso 
2-3 tablespoons pan toasted pumpkin seeds, for garnish

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375º. Generously rub the outside skin of the sugar pumpkin 
with oil and place, cut side down in a shallow baking pan. Sprinkle lightly 
with salt and add water to the baking dish to accumulate about 1/8-inch. 
Cover loosely with foil and bake until the squash is tender, about 40 
minutes (time may vary depending on the size of the pumpkin). Remove from 
oven and set aside to cool. 
Place about 2 tablespoons oil and onion in a small soup pot and turn heat to 
medium-high. When the onions begin to sizzle, add a pinch of salt and saute 
for 2 minutes. Stir in carrots, a pinch of salt, lemon zest and mirin. 
Saute for 1-2 minutes. 
Scoop the flesh of the pumpkin out of the skins and add to the vegetables in 
the soup pot. Add water, soymilk, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to 
low and cook soup until the carrots are quite soft, about 25 minutes. 
Transfer the soup, by ladles to a chinois or food mill and puree until 
smooth. Add a small amount of soymilk to thin the soup as desired. Return 
soup to the pot and place over very low heat. Remove a small amount of 
broth and dissolve miso. Stir miso into soup and simmer, uncovered, for 3-4 
minutes. Serve garnished with toasted pumpkin seeds. Makes 3-4 servings. 

A day at the park

Inspired by another blogger, and the fact that we had not had family pictures in over a year and a half.  I organized a family picture day at the park with my sister and fellow photographer behind the camera. It ultimately was a bit rushed (hungry and toddler and all) so most of the pictures came out like this......

We were successful at a couple of very cute playful shots....

And here are the money shots....

Beginning this blogging adventure

I thought it would be appropriate to start off this blogging adventure with my first project completely done without using any pattern or guide! This was a simple gift that I made for wonderful friend and fellow crafter. She has yet to learn to crochet, but hopefully this will serve as motivation.

In the future I will be sure to photograph more of the process so other DIY's can use the idea!

My goal in starting this blog is to combine my passions, photography, crafting, and natural family living. I also wanted a place to blog about the day to day creativity of family and friends. Next project, my adaptation of an Advent Calendar. So stay tuned and enjoy!