Quiet

There is no one in my house but me, right now. Some dolls and books have been swiftly abandoned in the floor. A snack left behind. And all is quiet but the hum of the air conditioner and a bird I can hear outside. Ahhh... This is actually my second day of solitude (for most of the day) and I'll tell you, it's just what this mama needed.
I went to lunch with my parents and a couple of my siblings to celebrate my mom's birthday tomorrow (happy 58, mama!) and just got back, which is why I'm behind on announcing a winner. But, the girls won't be home for another few hours and I'm going to enjoy the silence while I've got it. And then I will be happy to enjoy their noisy energy when they return.

So, are you ready to find out who won Cecilia's lovely bag? Me, too! Let's roll that random generator!

Oksana, you've won!

I will be emailing you in just two shakes of a lamb's tail and you'll have 48 hrs to get back to me.

Drop back in tomorrow to enter the first giveaway of August. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

This Week

This has been a really difficult, frustrating week. One that I have mostly spent running from one mess to another, breaking up one fight after another. Suppressing rage at a certain co-parent that just doesn't seem to give a ... It's been one of those weeks where one person doesn't seem like near enough.
And then there is the issue of a certain toddler that wants to see how many bumps and bruises one head can possibly hold and how high can she really climb and what's going to happen to this glass when I throw it on the floor? Oh, well, let's try another... still broken. And the lamp. Doesn't this picture make such a nice sound when I rip it in half? Yeah, a lot of that this week.
Now, at this point you're probably thinking, 'Well, Julie, why the heck aren't you watching your kid?' I do, I am. Right now, I'm watching her coloring right beside of me, knowing that in a blink of an eye she could set her sights on something I'm not anticipating and she's off! Or, you know, I've gotta make dinner and she's there but all it really takes is two seconds and she's done it again!
She's a toddler, I get that. But, I have had two other children. She's nothing like them. And there's no stopping her. And I think she's giving me grays. And why in the world did I not see that she was growing to throw that cup full of colored pencils in the floor right now? I should have seen that one coming.
I've banned the use of stickers, at least for today. Do you know, I walked outside two days ago and must have picked three dozen heart stickers off of plants, fence posts, windows, the side of the house? And I'm still finding them. Kaiya said there would be a sticker hunt. I don't think I fully understood what that entailed.
I'm glad the weekend is here. Truly, as a stay-at-home, single mom, there's really not a lot of difference between weekday and weekend. But it's a state of mind, right? And the girls' dad comes and they spend their days with him (whenever he decides to show) and that's a nice break.
And I could certainly use the break. Next week will be better. They usually are. I'm going to spend the weekend resting, putting off the work I had planned to do til next week so I can get a little rejuvenated. Mama just can't run on empty, you know?
How are you spending your weekend?

P.S. Tomorrow the winner will be drawn to win this gorgeous bag. Have you entered yet?

This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Don't forget, two more days to enter!

Signs of Summer

~A quintessential summer day. Join in if you like and share what summer is to you.~
Oh, yes! My mother says they're not really vegetables. What a thing so say! They're so crisp and delicious. Maybe one of these days I'll stop eating them all right away and pickle them. Yeah.. sure!

Also, you can find me here today.

By the way, have you entered to win this gorgeous purse, yet?

Growing

I think I have already confessed my garden neglect this year, so we'll not go into it again. Even my beloved herb garden is being a bit overcome with weeds. I have some excuses... wanna hear them? I have been working, I have been kinda down, it's too darn hot! That's a pretty good one, don'tcha think? But, nevertheless, plants (once planted) will grow on.
Calendula. We have really sensitive skin in my house, so next year I think I'll be growing gobs of calendula.
Borage. I planted it because I had read it makes things it grows near taste better. So, beside the tomatoes it went.
And, tomatoes. Not bearing just yet. I can't wait! There are also several wild vines of cucumbers growing on the other side of them. I love cucumber season! And they're producing like crazy.
Cosmos, and I think that's some wild red clover and a morning glory in there, as well. My girls could pick flowers all day.
I think we're getting down to the last of the blackberries, which makes me quite sad. But, mostly the girls have gone to edge of the woods where they grow and eaten them straight away. Oh, well. Kaiya made this 'salad' for me. I love that it is all actually edible, instead of the twig and pine cone soup she usually brings to me.
What's growing in your garden?

Many Hands Make Light Work

I am so blessed to have these three tiny ladies in my life. To work beside them, and grow with them. I never could have dreamed they would teach me so much. I think I underestimate what they can do, what they will do, willingly, joyfully.
To them, tasks we think of as burdens, as something we have to do before we get to play and relax, are new and fun and... full of wonder.
Kaiya has started wanting to take on more responsibilities, for me. She tells me to sit down and relax, she'll take care of the housework. I think this tender soul see's her mama struggling. She's so full of empathy, always has been.
And so I sit, for a few minutes anyway. And I let her do what she loves most... help. What joy it brings her!
And this one? Well, I think what she loves most is to imitate. I know all toddlers do. But she is so very attentive. When she was a newborn her eyes were always so wide, looking around and taking in everything! We would marvel at how awake she seemed.
And now she watches, so very closely, and follows suit. (Don't worry, that's just water and dish soap.)
She is a handful, but her curiosity and boundless determination are awe-inspiring.

I am trying to remember to stop, and watch and see it through their eyes.

Meltdown Monday Giveaway

Comments on this giveaway are now closed.


Happy Monday, all! Boy, do I have a treat for you! This week's giveaway is for the mamas this time. Sorry kiddos, I'll have something for you next week. Our Monday meltdown today is coming from Cecilia, from South Africa. She does not have a shop (yet) but you can finding her blogging at Heavenly Handmade. Now, let's get to know Cecilia a little bit better.


This Cosy Life- Hi, Cecilia, and welcome to Meltdown Monday! Tell us a little about yourself so we can know the person behind the work.
Cecilia- Hi, and thank you so much for giving me the opportunity. I'm the mother of two girls, one 17 and one 5. No, we didn't plan them 13 years apart, God gave them to us like that, hahaha! I live in South Africa, Gauteng Province to be precise, in the capital city, Pretoria. I'm 42 years old and married to a lovely guy for the past 18 years. I work full time out of the house and complain about it a LOT!

This Cosy Life- What do you create and what are your favorite materials?

Cecilia- I have always made stuff, from wire-work to knitting, papier mache, sewing - oh anything and everything! At the moment I'm totally enthralled by making bags and purses, but I must confess to a life-long love affaire with paper. The only type of craft I'm not crazy about is scrapbooking - I don't really "get" it? I love to experiment with new crafts and new techniques on old crafts. I've only recently realised that I can probably also sell stuff that I make after coming across the book "Crafting a Business" - published by Country Living US. That was a turning point in my life, and I'm looking forward to going forward from here on out!

This Cosy Life- What inspires your creations?

Cecilia- Living in South Africa I am exposed to so many different cultures and traditions, not least of all my own culture, Afrikaans. I am an African and the bright sunlight, the wide open spaces and vibrant colours are in my blood. My favourite cultures are SeSotho, Ndebele and Indian. I'm also very fond of old things, movies starring Fred Astaire, my mother's 1950's wedding dress, the elegance of 1920's gowns and architecture.

This Cosy Life- How do you balance 'making' with mothering?

Cecilia- Working full time is hard for any mother, but not really all that much harder than a stay-at-home mom's. I think the guilt might be worse, though. I'm very blessed to have firstly my wonderful husband who does try his best to help where he can. And secondly my teenager is such a big help with her little sister. She would entertain her for a couple of hours while I get to finish preparing dinner or sit behind the sewing machine. Also both the girls are very creative, and they love to work on their own projects. It's actually so nice to look up from where I sit at the dining-room table to see the one head bent over painting and the other head bent over writing. I also hope that the girls see from my example that one should find your passion and live it, not wait until it's too late. I encourage them where I can to make stuff, just like me :-)

This Cosy Life- Thank you so much for for joining us for Meltdown Monday!

Cecilia-- Thanks again for the opportunity, it means such a lot to me. I hope your readers like the bag!


Cecilia will be sending one very lucky reader the bag you see above. Here's a bit about the bag, in Cecilia's own words.


I don't know if you've ever heard of shweshwe? Shortly it's a fabric that is indigenous to SA. The only one really. It originated in India but was sort of taken over by the Basuthu people. It's cotton and normally heavily sized which gives it a distinctive smell. When I was a little girl, my mother made our dresses out of it because it was really cheap and we were poor. We also called it 'sis' because of the shushing sound it made when you walked. Today it's very fashionable here, which makes it quite expensive, and it's called by the black name of shweshwe. The traditional colours are blue and brown. The big thing with shweshwe is that it shrinks to about 2/3 its size when washed to remove the sizing.

OK, so to enter leave me a comment. You can let me know how your Monday is going or, better yet, tell me how you beat the dreadful Meltdown Monday or just say hi. Whatever.

For additional entries;
(leave a separate comment for each entry, if you don't, they count as one)
Tweet this (include @thiscosylife in your tweet)
Share on Facebook
Blog this giveaway
And for this giveaway you can gain one additional entry by 'Following' Cecilia's blog.

I will randomly pick a winner on Sunday July 31th and announce here, on my blog. (Please, make sure I have a way to contact you!)


PS: If anyone is interested in participating in a Monday Meltdown giveaway, here on my blog, contact me here. Whether an item from your Etsy shop or just a little something you would like to give away to brighten someone's Monday, it's all good!

If You Need Me

You'll find me right here today. Parked in my favorite chair with my knitting on my lap.

And since it is Sunday, here's this week's Meltdown Monday Giveaway winner...


Kai~thecatinthetree

Congratulations, Kai! I've already contacted you on your own blog. You have 48 hours to get back with me.


I hope you all have a beautiful Sunday!

Happy Mail

I got a package in the mail yesterday. An early birthday gift from my very dear friend, Rachel.
Wool, this woman knows me so well!

And inside, (on top, actually. And boy, did the girls notice them and know they were for them before I even had the box all the way open!) were three books for the girls. Mail thrills children to no end, doesn't it? Me, too, just to be honest.

But, it's this book I just had to share with you. Mommies Say Shhh! Knittin' mamas, listen up and scroll down.

This picture alone makes it a must have book. And, yes, they're knitting right from the sheep. That's my kind of book! Rachel, you do know me so very well.

By the way, have you entered this week's giveaway, yet? Winner will be drawn tomorrow. Good luck!

This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

PS Have you entered to win this sweet little doll, yet?

Signs of Summer

~A quintessential summer day. Join in if you like and share what summer is to you.~

Homemade ice cream. I started making it this year because Kaiya is allergic to dairy. And, I must say, mine is way better than store-bought dairy free ice cream.

Good to the last slurp!

Btw, have you entered to win this sweet knitted doll, yet?

On Being Heard

Sometimes we speak or write because we truly have something that others need to hear. And sometimes, it's because we have something we truly need to say. What I am trying to say is... thank you, for hearing me.

I came upon this quote from Rainer Maria Rilke tonight. It could not be more right for this moment in my life if it were written just for me. Isn't it funny how things work out that way? Perhaps it will speak to you, as well.

"Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer."
— Rainer Maria Rilke

Right Now

I'm loving cooking for my little ladies. Not everything is a hit but mostly they've been giving some pretty good feedback. I used to cook a lot, don't really know why I stopped... I do recognize that my life has gone through a lot of upheavals, big changes since my husband and I split, nearly two years ago, now. Don't "they" say not to make any big changes for like, a year or so after major loss? I'm beginning to think I should have listened to "them". That perhaps my plate is too full and maybe I'm just a little bit lost right now. That wouldn't it be really nice to have a crystal ball that I could look into and get some answers... some direction, some light at the end of the tunnel.
I know I have been tense, and overwhelmed and so very frustrated. And I'm beginning to feel as though I'm doing it all wrong and not really doing anything too well. Do you ever feel that way? Like you're dropping the ball and fucking everything up? And everyone is standing there watching you drop it and judging the hell out of you. At least, in my case, many are standing and watching and judging... good ole' family. Oh, and will someone please clue me in on when it gets easier? I mean, sure, I don't feel like my heart is being ripped out and smashed to bits anymore... but, my god, it sucks so bad sometimes. Last night my husband (yes, still technically my husband, but no, not for any particular reason. I guess I just haven' t felt the need to really move on and maybe that's my problem.) spent the evening here with the girls and put them to bed. Kaiya cried so hard, not wanting him to leave. Where the hell did that come from? It's been nearly two years but they so often ask me, why can't Daddy live with us? I wish Daddy could see us every day. And, I still don't know how to respond to that.
It breaks my heart and, I will admit it, I am beginning to get lonely. Changes... haven't helped me to move on. They've just left me confused and overwhelmed. And my point was, I've lost parts of me along the way. Some days I feel like I'm a truer me than I've ever been before but I think perhaps that doesn't go so deep...
And I really don't think I have anymore to say about that right now. Just needed to get it all out. If you made it to the end of this post, thanks for listening.

Meltdown Monday Giveaway

Comments on this giveaway are now closed.

Another Monday, another giveaway! How's yours so far? No melting down too badly, I hope.

This week's giveaway comes from the very talented, Melissa, who sells her handknit goodness here and blogs over at Wild Faerie Caps. Her wool soaker shorties and longies are so darling and, speaking as a cloth diaper mama who uses wool, a really great design. She also makes sweet and simple Waldorf inspired toys; dolls, gnome and playmats. Let's get to know a little more about Melissa, shall we?!

This Cosy Life- Hi, Melissa, and welcome to Meltdown Monday! Tell us a little about yourself so we can know the person behind the work.

Melissa- I am a mother to three wild, homeschooled boys. When I'm not chasing kids, I fill my time with crafting and books. Very ocassionaly I tackle the mountain of laundry that lives in our hamper.

This Cosy Life- What do you create and what are your favorite materials?

Melissa- Once upon a time I was a bookbinder. After that became work rather than play, I tried my hand at sewing plushies for my kids and needle felting. In the past year or so I discovered knitting and haven't looked back. My favorite materials are natural ones: wool, cotton, bamboo.

This Cosy Life- What inspires your creations?

Melissa- Honestly, I am greatly inspired by all of the amazing blogging women out there. I learned to knit out of necessity. I wanted longies for my babies and couldn't afford to buy them. Since learning the very basics I am constantly inspired by the creations I see all over the internet. And of course, my kids inspire me daily. And if not inspire, they definitely egg me on!

This Cosy Life- How do you balance 'making' with mothering?

Melissa- Oh goodness. I don't? I sneak in as much "making" time as I can. While the kids are quietly playing, while they're still asleep in the morning, while I'm eating my lunch! With two kids under the age of three, my "making" time usually takes a back seat. This fall my oldest son and I are going to tackle the concept of handwork during his homeschool lessons. With that and the growing independence of my other two, I hope to fit in more ways to let my creativity out.

This Cosy Life- Thank you so much for for joining us for Meltdown Monday!

Melissa- Thanks for having me, it's an honor to be a small part of your wonderful blog.

Today, Melissa is giving away this sweet little she made to one lucky reader.
It's about six
inches tall, made with superwash wool and a silk/cotton/wool
and is stuffed with bamboo filling.

OK, so to enter leave me a comment. You can let me know how your Monday is going or, better yet, tell me how you beat the dreadful Meltdown Monday or just say hi. Whatever.

For additional entries;
(leave a separate comment for each entry, if you don't, they count as one)
Tweet this (include @thiscosylife in your tweet)
Share on Facebook
Blog this giveaway
And for this giveaway you can gain one additional entry by 'Following' Melissa's blog.

I will randomly pick a winner on Sunday July 24th and announce here, on my blog. (Please, make sure I have a way to contact you!)


PS: If anyone is interested in participating in a Monday Meltdown giveaway, here on my blog, contact me here. Whether an item from your Etsy shop or just a little something you would like to give away to brighten someone's Monday, it's all good!

Two Winners and What I'm Lovin'

~Geraniums in my kitchen window, which always makes me think of Mrs. McGregor.

~Rad, is the word that comes to mind.
~An indoor tree house. An indoor tree house!
~These inspire me to sharpen my colorwork skills.
~Aren't these lovely?! Couldn't you just imagine a whole bunch of them stacked on your bed?
~Stevie Nicks

And, I promised you two winners for the Huggermugger giveaway. They are commenter's 2 and 6.


Kathleen

and

Steff

Ladies, I don't have contact info for either of you so please get back to me here, asap.
Stay tuned for tomorrow's installment of Meltdown Monday Giveaway!

Weekending

Lately, (not the past two days which have been blissfully cool) it has been blistering hot and the girls have been hiding out indoors quite a bit. Mainly they have been playing with their doll house, crafting, coloring and painting. They love anything crafty. Which I love, of course. But, I'm going to have to figure out something great to do with all their painting and coloring pages (that they simply must tear out) because they're really beginning to pile up around here. Suggestions?

I saw a preview for the new Winnie the Pooh movie on Hulu last night and suggested to the girls' dad that he take the older two to see it today. 'Going to the Movies' is not an event that happens very often in our house, for children or grownups alike. So, it's a special treat and they had a really great time.

How are you spending your weekend?

This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

PS have you entered to win this sweet sunhat?