bits of sunshine

handmades at the beach

These two bags go with me everywhere lately.

The little one with the happy birds on it is from across the ocean, from the sewing room of a lovely friend of mine.  :)  The little fabric flower brooch on it is from another crafty lady - who went to high school with my husband.

 

The other bag is much bigger - I used a reusable bag from the grocery store as a pattern and made a lined version, out of fun fabrics I had in my stash.  It is awesome for library books.  Or towels and swimsuits and a snack or two.  Or a blanket, sunscreen, bug spray, a water bottle and a snack for softball nights.

I'll be making another of the big ones - but with wider straps.  And I put a little cell phone pocket in it - but it needs to be a little bigger.  And I need another little pocket or two, for things like chapstick and keys.  I also want to add some sort of inter-facing / heavy lining to give the bag a bit more body.  But - it was a good first attempt!  And it has put on a lot of miles already this summer.

 

Do you have a link to a favorite handmade bag?  One that you made, or that you want to make, or that someone else made for you, or that you just like to look at?

a letter

 

so, i read this a long time ago and bookmarked it (only go read it if you don't mind a swear word and a harsh sentence or two) . . .

here's my version ::

Hey Love,

Let’s have some coffee. With Half and Half.  Drive your truck.  With the windows down.  And the music on.  Almost too loud.  Mow the yard.  In the sun.  Together.  The money this month will be stretched thin, but who cares.  Do you think I’d actually trade my life for the lives of most of those people out there who WILL pay all their bills on time this month, have plenty of extra money in the bank set aside for retirement, a three car garage?  The 30 x 30 house we'll call home is not quite half finished, but it’ll be home and look at the river just down the hill.  Let’s build something good that we can’t see with our eyes, and be surprised when it’s our turn to die, realizing that we actually did most of the stuff we truly care about.  Gave ourselves permission to be curious.  Actually became the people we were born to be.  That we discovered our true place on our way through this life and leaned into the deepness of the dark and helped the sun come up a few times without having fallen asleep.  Gave the sun no choice but to rise: even it had to find out what would happen next.

Here's to what's next,

~E

at the beach

 

 

 

 

 

I cleaned up the counter, did a bit of blogging - catching up with you, friends - and we threw on our suits and headed out to pebbles and water and sun.  Oh, I love soaking up the sunshine and splashing in the lake!  'Twas a grand time!

my kitchen counter this morning

Whatcha got goin' on there E?  you may very well ask me. 

Well, there're strawberries waiting to be turned into jam.  There's a bowl of rhubarb and sugar waiting to be turned into Cherry Rhubarb Jam.  There's Violet's Rye Bread in the mixing bowl.  There's my Gram's big stoneware bowl, waiting for rising bread.  There're violets.  And there's sunshine.

By lunch time there were three loaves of Violet's Rye Bread fresh from the oven.  Lots of flour.  Strawberry stems.  7 jars of Cherry Rhubarb Jam.  And the last of the 38 jars of Strawberry Jam that I have made in the last two days. 

My house smells of rye and molasses and rhubarb and strawberries.

And I'm trying to decide between a nap and a trip to the lake . . . I know what my kiddos would prefer . . . but I just might find a way to do both!

has it really been seven days?

it has.  i'm sorry, friends.  i've missed you.  i've missed posting for you.  i've missed reading you.  hopefully tomorrow morning i will be able to spend some time catching up with you all.  writing some posts.  reading your posts.  it is getting late, and i must turn in.  i've been so wiped out . . . but i know it will give me a boost of energy to be back in this space . . . so here's crossing my fingers for tomorrow.  and here's sending you all some hugs and wishes for sunshine - in your sky and in your soul. 

with love,
~e

Baby Becca

Rebecca Eva     7 lbs 5 oz     18 in long

 

Such baby sweetness - all soft and new - her hair, so silky smooth - her skin, so silken soft - and oh, she smelled just like a new baby is supposed to - I could have kissed her and breathed her in all day - but I had to share her with her Gramps - he slept in the chair for a few minutes while he held her.  Grandchild number eight for my 56-year-old dad.  And he loves every minute of it.  And my sister?  This mama thing looks so good on her.  And her husband and little boy are going to take such good care of mama and sister.  Another memory captured in this crazy, beautiful life.

the music in today

she's going to live with my sister-in-law . . .

and i'm listening for the music in today . . . it's very faint and hard to hear . . . but it's there, in my kids' imaginations, in my dad saying "i love you" before he hung up the phone, in the way my mind turns for rest in Jesus, in my husband's fingers and his kiss . . . there is music in today . . . even if i have to listen hard to hear it . . .

and maybe tomorrow, just maybe, it won't be quite so faint.

** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

the verse-a-day today ::     For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.   Isaiah 41:13 (NIV)

I'm off, with my Dad . . .

to meet my new little niece!

She was born yesterday morning . . . 
my sister woke up at 1:30 am
she was having contractions 6 minutes apart
her husband got her to the hospital at 3:30 am
she had a little girl at 4:20 am 
and I get to do a little road trip with my dad to see my lovely sister and meet this new little person
it's gonna be a good day. 
I hope you have something to enjoy today!

down by the riverside

on Saturday we mowed and mowed down by the river, below our new home, we collected stones for a fire-ring, then we enjoyed our handiwork and the sound of the river and each others' company

 

 

garage and basement, beginnings

{garage floor}

{hard-workin' guy}

{the basement - footings are ready for walls}

{instruction time :: this is how we'll put the walls together} 

{here's that hard-workin' guy again}

{just like big legos - the ICF forms for the basement walls}

{when I wasn't taking pictures, I was down there working, too}

{the pumper truck - filling the walls with concrete}

 

{filling the walls}

{gettin' 'er done and ready for a floor}

 

{the basement floor (there's in-floor heat under there)}

{the garage roof is getting finished, too, thanks, of course, to that hard-workin' little guy}