waldorf mama

a new camera...

well, it's been a rather exciting weekend for me...i must say. our tax refund came in and guess what i spent my alloted portion on? that's right, a new camera body! a nikon d90. after shooting on the d70s for a while now, i thought it was perfect timing for an upgrade. and, of course, i can continue to use my favorite 50mm nikkor lens with this new body. i can't wait to get in a little practice and start shooting with this new baby. i'm pretty excited about it! hopefully, over time, i will continue to hone my photography skills and my photos will improve a bit here. :-)

happy monday, everyone!

shelley

this moment...

a friday ritual (inspired by soulemama). a single photo capturing a moment from the week. a simple, special, extraordinary moment. a moment to pause, savor and remember. if you're inspired to do the same, share a link to your 'moment' in the comments!

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

this week, i am grateful for...

:: curls!

:: guardian angels.

:: my family and very dear friends.

in gratitude,

shelley

curly top...

after seeing her 9 year old cousin's hair all curly from sleeping in sponge curlers one day this week, maya quickly decided she wanted to follow suit. i explained that we would need to put the curlers in while her hair was a bit damp, leave them in all afternoon while it dried naturally, and that she might even want to sleep in them in order to experience the same curly head of hair she had seen on her cousin. although she typically has a very sensitive head for tangles and the like, she was determined to do this and experience a head full of curls. so here is our curly-top-in-the-making (i'll be posting an after photo tomorrow)! working on some mud pies, of course. fun stuff...

oh my, how these curlers bring up some fond old memories. i remember being just this age and my own mama putting them in my hair the night before easter sunday. it's nice how some things never change, isn't it?

shelley

wip wednesday :: a rainbow basket

this week, my work-in-progress is a large felted rainbow basket inspired by a dear friend. when i saw her improvised large, lovely basket in a rainbow of colors drying on her front porch...i knew i had to immediately cast on one for myself (thank you for the inspiration, kelly)! she used one strand of malabrigo worsted and one strand of lamb's pride worsted held together and knit it in the round from the top down, using size 11 circular needles. then she did her decreasing at the bottom, making her basket large and round. i'm actually adjusting her improvised pattern to create more of a rectangular basket and knitting it from the bottom up. i'm starting with a large rectangle for the base and will pick up stitches all around the perimeter and then begin knitting in the round up to the top. i only cast on for this last night, so no photo yet of my actual progress...but i'm really very excited to see how this is going to turn out. oh, how we love rainbows around here...

and, of course, my weekly yarn update, as well:

malabrigo worsted (amor intenso colorway)...

..

malabrigo silky merino (bahia colorway)...

what's in your work-in-progress basket this week?

shelley

texas bluebonnets...

being a seventh generation texan, i've always been quite proud of and enamored with our state flower - the beautiful texas bluebonnet. my goodness, i can't tell you how many childhood memories i have of seeing these flowers each spring as i was growing up. we are right in the middle of bluebonnet season here now (mid-march to late may) and many of the roadsides on our commute to austin this week were literally covered in these gorgeous beauties...

another reason to adore spring!

shelley

kitchen color...

things have been feeling very spring-like around here and i'm finding myself noticing the spring colors in my home a bit more - particularly in my kitchen - as we celebrate the amazing color bursting forth outdoors. an inward expression and experience of the outward rebirth that is spring. every year during this glorious season (my very favorite time of year, if you couldn't tell), i feel a sense of rebirth in myself and celebrate the coming of the temperate weather and beautiful color all around me. outside, naturally - as our flowers bloom and blue skies beckon us out of doors. and inside, as well, as we open the windows to let the cool breezes in and get busy with some organizing and spring cleaning...

oh spring colors, how i love you!

shelley

this moment...

a friday ritual (inspired by soulemama). a single photo capturing a moment from the week. a simple, special, extraordinary moment. a moment to pause, savor and remember. if you're inspired to do the same, share a link to your 'moment' in the comments!

. . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

this week, i am grateful for...

:: handwork!

:: seeing maya engaging more at school and with her friends.

:: my new book study group and the personal work that is coming up for me as a result of it.

:: meeting some new mama friends.

in gratitude,

shelley