Branching Out

I did a little sewing this Sunday and did it ever feel good. I made the hat out of two wool coats I felted a few weeks ago. As luck would have it, I just happened to have the perfect fleece to line it with. This hat was actually my second attempt. My first try just fits my three year-old daughter's head. I'm glad I used a sweater that didn't felt quite right for that one.

I like the hat, but I love that little zipper flower. I made it into a pin so I (or whoever ends up with it) can take it off. And, of course, I had to make a pair of mittens to go with it - because I am all about mittens these days. I've committed to having 20 pair ready to sell by Mother's Day weekend. These look a little wonky in the photo, but they turned out great.

I wasn't sure how the mittens made with coat wool would turn out; most of the mittens I've made have been out of felted sweaters. There are so many women making mittens these days that there aren't as many sweaters available as there use to be. Plus they are getting more expensive. Branching out into coats and blazers (the leaves on that flower pin are from a felted wool blazer) has allowed me to get wool in colors and patterns I couldn't find in sweaters. And I just couldn't resist that fuzzy blue plaid!

The pattern for the hat is easy. I know that I am a math teacher, so easy for me isn't easy for everyone, but believe me it's a piece of cake.

I used a 7.5 inch diameter circle for the top and a 23.5 X 8 inch rectangle for the sides. If your head is bigger or smaller just adjust the size of the circle and rectangle accordingly. For an 8.5 inch diameter circle use a 26.75 inch rectangle, or for a 6.5 inch circle use a 20.5 inch rectangle. If you want to use a different size circle for the top, just remember the length of the rectangle you need to cut = the diameter of the circular top of the hat multiplied by 3.14. If you'd like more detailed directions on how to sew the hat, let me know. I can probably post them later this week.

Thank You

Thank you all so much for your support after my last post. The hugs, thoughts, and prayers were greatly appreciated. My husband and I drove down to the Memorial Service yesterday and it was wonderful. The church was over flowing with people, and while I can't speak for all of them, I can say that I left the service uplifted, full of other folk's fond memories of Karen and Edye, and determined to honor their memories by living life to the fullest each and every day.

Lost

photo via

I went to work today but I'm not myself. My thoughts are disjointed, not quite coherent, still not willing to accept the truth about the accident. Them going over the bluff on their snowmobile. That they're gone...

I just can't bring myself to retype one word of this. It's gut wrenching to imagine her husband and her boys going on without her, though I know somehow they will find a way. Don says he wishes he could just open his eyes and have it all have been a dream; an awful nightmare to leave behind. And my son, who sat on her lap at brunch on Sunday and really doesn't understand the concept of death, says he wants someone to "invent a way to bring her back to this world. Please Mama, I miss her."

So I snuggle him and remind him that he needs to remember all the things about her that made him smile. How she loved Tinkerbell just like he does, how she always had special treats just for him, how she let him touch everything in her house - even the fragile breakable things that made his mama nervous, and how she kept toys in her house just so they would be there when he and his sister came around the corner to visit. Those are the memories he needs to keep alive in his heart, even though right now, it aches to think about them. He smiled at me and reminded me that King Triton's heart was broken when his Queen died and Ariel and Sebastian fixed it, so someday our hearts will be fixed too. Such a sweet little boy. If only real life had a Disney ending so everyone could get a happily ever after...

Goodbye Karen.
Know that you are missed.
By all of us.

I'm Addicted

to bread.

Well, not just any bread. I love those crusty artisan loaves you get in the deli section for $3.50 each. I can literally eat 3/4 of a loaf by myself - in one sitting. I won't be buying it any more because now I can make my own, thanks to my mother-in-law. She bought me this book for Christmas and it's fantastic. I've only tried the Master Recipe, but I picked up bread flour, whole wheat flour, and flax seeds when I was off the island this week just so I would be ready to try something different.

Needless to say we've had bread just about every day for the past week and I plan to mix up another batch this afternoon. I'd be in the kitchen right now but we are heading out the door for Mackinac's annual Winter Festival Brunch down at the school. My mouth is watering just thinking about those pancakes and bacon, so the bread is going to have to wait.

Michigan Quilts!

I'm guest blogging today over at Michigan Quilts! Come on over and check it out. Caron, the brains behind the Michigan Quilts! blog, is an avid quilter, author, teacher, and fellow Michigander. When she invited me to be a guest blogger, how could I refuse? Looking at the other guest bloggers she's had, I'm quite honored to have been included in her list.

Yep, that quilt pictured above is this one. Believe it or not - it's finally finished. Read all about it over at Michigan Quilts!

For Mom

Meet my mom. Her name is Crissie and she is currently living and working in Cairo, Egypt, and blogging about her experiences. My favorite so far is her post about the police raid on the "Women's Only" car on the Cairo Metro. I know she'd love it if a few of you popped on over to her place and left some comment love.

Neither Wind, Nor Rain, Nor Sleet, Nor Snow...

photo via

Lots of people ask me how I get my mail. I never really thought about it, but life on Mackinac is "different" from mainland life, so it doesn't surprise me that people are curious...

Mackinac Island's mail starts out like all other U.S. mail - at the Post Office, but that's where the similarities end. When my children send letters to their grandparents, those letters leave the Post Office and get a dray ride up to the airport,

where they wait on a cart,

until they are loaded into the plane
and flown to the mainland.

Once the plane lands in St. Ignace, the letters are picked up by a USPS truck and taken on the rest of their journey. Island mail often takes a bit longer to arrive than mail sent from the mainland, so we just make sure to give our bills an extra day or two to make it to their destination. Occasionally, in the winter when there is snow, sleet and freezing rain we may go several days without mail. In the 17 years that I've been here, I think the longest we've gone without mail (due to the plane's inability to fly in bad weather) was three days. It's not really a problem though - especially now that I have email!

As for getting our letters and packages, the island does not have home delivery; everyone has to go to the Post Office to pick up their mail. Luckily, my husband usually takes care of that chore.

However, UPS does deliver (thank goodness.) That's how I got these:

My new Ott lights! Joann's was having a 50% off sale and I had a free shipping coupon. I've only had them four days and now I can't imagine not having them - they're that good!

Me Likey

(Taken in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, in February 2008, from my second row seat!)

Anyone who has ever lived with me (and been scarred by my playing the same music over and over again) knows that I am a huge Barenaked Ladies fan. If you're not familiar with them you should know they're Canadian, they're men, and they are usually fully clothed. (My friend Michelle and I did get an accidental eye full once.) Anyway...

A while back BNL parted ways with their lead singer, Steven Page (the guy on the left,) and they just came out with their first single since he left the band. Go ahead and listen; I'll wait...

Apparently not all browsers support the widget above. If you don't see a box to play the song, click here to listen.

I'm on listen number 52 (or there abouts) and I like it. I was worried about whether or not I would like their music as much after Steve left the band since he had such an amazing voice, but now I am really looking forward to their next album (due out at the end of March.) I wonder if I can pre-order it yet though Amazon?

Sewing Again

I picked up a bunch of adorable patterned tights (on sale) for my daughter over Christmas break only to realize that she only had two neutral skirts that would work with them. So this weekend I got to work on some new skirts.

This skirt is basically the same as this one, I just used the legs from an old pair of jeans (thank you Miranda) for the bottom instead of calico. My machine didn't like sewing through the gathered denim and the flat felled seams of the jeans - not one bit, but in the end I only ended up breaking one needle. I purposely left the hem unfinished so it would fray; for some reason I love the way frayed hems look on denim. I don't think the picture does this skirt justice. When she has it on, you can't see the lighter denim on the top - my daughter's shirts hang down low enough to cover it so it looks really cute.

While I was taking pictures of the skirt yesterday afternoon I noticed this little flower in my back yard. It brightened my day and I thought it might brighten yours, too.

We are losing snow fast on Mackinac. It's been in the 20s and 30s for the past week! It feels great but we are quickly seeing bare pavement which isn't so great when your main source of transportation is your snowmobile. But if I have to walk, I'll walk with a happy heart...

Mystery Box

The last time I visited my grandma I saw this box sitting on the shelf in her closet. It peaked my curiosity because it had to be, like, forty years old - if not older.

Just look at the treasures I discovered inside:

Forty glorious years worth of buttons (and zippers and trim.) Don't you just love those big green jacket buttons? I do! Lucky, lucky me.

Thank you Grandma, thank you so much!

New Year's Fun

New Year's on Mackinac has been a tradition with my friends and me for a long time. Including the gatherings that occurred before I had my own place on the island, and subtracting the one year hubby and I were off the island just after we got married, this year marked my 20th Mackinac Island New Year's Eve celebration.

Usually everyone arrives on the ferry, well except for last year when some friends missed the boat. I just love that little tree on the bow.

Then the fun begins.
This year it included snowmobiling, bird watching*,

sledding,

snowshoeing,

and taking apart a flat screen TV.

Let me tell you, it doesn't take long for six sets of hands to tear down a television. You should have seen them; "I'm taking this piece home... Mom, can I take this home?" I was thrilled to see the girls right in there with screwdrivers holding their own amongst the four older boys. I'm always impressed at how our nine kids (ages three through fifteen) get along so well.

*Keith, the botanist of the group, told us that by looking at the tips of the tail feathers he could tell this owl was less than one year old. Keith didn't hear it hoot so he couldn't tell if it was a male or a female.

Painting With Light

One of my favorite New Year's projects this year was painting with light. (Thank you oh Craft King, a.k.a. "The Hubby.") Imagine six kids, ten glow sticks, and my camera on a tripod in our living room after dark. Add in a little creativity and 10 second exposures, and you've got at least two hours of fun.

It was great to watch the creativity just ooze out of the kids - and to see their strategies change as they saw each image they created. Six kids was probably a few too many to be practical as it was hard for everyone to get a chance to experiment with their ideas, but they still had a good time...

After the kids went to bed, the adults had to get in on the fun. Mrs. Rose, my third grade teacher, would not have been pleased with our cursive!

Next time you're out shopping you should pick up a few glow sticks (check out the sporting goods section.) At about $1.00 each, the fun was well worth the cost!

Mama's Got a New Set of Wheels

As of this morning the ferry is frozen in and can't get out of the St. Ignace harbor, and Arnold Line has called it quits for the season. So now this little airplane will be my lifeline to the mainland...

The plane holds the pilot, five passengers, and their stuff. When Great Lakes Air hauls UPS and the mail they remove some or all of the seats to make more room for all of the freight. Round trip airfare is $50.00, except kids and pets fly free as long as they fit on your lap. I wonder how long my kids will fit? Some how I probably won't be able to get away with holding a 12 year-old on my lap.


For a small plane, it sure can hold a bunch of stuff. Last year freight cost $2.50 per box or tub. I don't usually haul dog food or other heavy items on the plane because those are charged by the pound. I can't imagine what the cost would be for those 50 pound bags we buy. Luckily, before the boat quit, I laid in enough pet food to get us through the winter. (Hopefully!)


I just can't imagine living on Mackinac Island without that little plane...

More Holiday Crafts

Aren't those cards the coolest thing ever? I think so. The snowflakes were poked into a thin acrylic sheet and then lit with a LED. The cards were a great school project; lessons in rotational symmetry, measurement and electric circuits all rolled into one. You'll find the tutorial here.

I know the kids really enjoyed making these. Despite the fact that they each had to bring in $3.00 to cover the costs of the acrylic, the battery and the LED, my students are already asking if we can make them again next year.

Looking Forward

The New Year always makes me think of Anne Shirley of Anne of Green Gables. She said, "Tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it," and I really like that. I like the idea of a clean slate; like the new year is blank page in a book just full of possibilities. Should I write in it? Doodle? Or use it for origami? Ah... so many choices.

I'd like to make a few changes in my life and today seems like perfect day to start, don't you think? One change I'm going to make is having a happy heart. What I mean is, to do everything I have to do (but might not want to do) with a happy heart - a positive attitude, a smile on my face, and putting in my best effort. I'm also going to be better at keeping the house picked up and asking my husband to help me. I tend to get upset with him for not doing anything while I don't ask him to do anything. And he is willing to help, I just don't ask him to. I expect him to just know that I need help and then get irritated with him when he doesn't. Definitely something I need to improve on. So, this year I'll be happy, in a clean house, with a grouchy husband. (Just kidding, honey.) I'll just have to work on keeping his heart happy, too...

I've also got some exciting things on the horizon for 2010. I'll turn 40 this year, and while I'm not really excited about it, I think I'll live through it - everybody else seems to. I just don't feel 40, you know? More exciting is that two shops downtown have approached me about my mittens. One shop wants to sell them, while the other wants to sell the pattern. I've been honest with both of them that I'm not sure I can produce enough to keep them stocked all summer, but both owners insisted they'd take what I can provide. So now I am a thrifting mad woman, buying sweaters by the duffel bag full. My husband tells me that I have a problem; last night he informed me that he's organizing an intervention...

Snip Snip

She's three and a half and just had her very first hair cut... sniff sniff... My little girl is growing up. Her brother had his first hair cut at three as well, but my little toe head had a lot less hair.

I can't believe she will be four in just a few short months - it seems like she was just born. I'm still chuckling about her feigning, "It hurts!" as the stylist trimmed off all of about two inches. Of course I had to save it. One little lock is now safely tucked away within the pages of her baby book. The one I am religious about updating regularly; seriously, I am really good about it. It's just a little thing that I can do for my children. I think they'll really appreciate those books when they are older. I know I love flipping through the pages of mine...

More Gifts

Now that all the gifts have been opened, I can show you the brown sugar scrub the kids made for the special people in their lives. Papa, Grandma, Aunt Kathy, their teachers and babysitters all got a jar of it, and let me tell you, it's wonderful. I had to test it. I mean, I couldn't give away untested scrub, now could I. What if it didn't work? Luckily, I works really well and it was a perfect gift for a three year-old and a five year-old to make. Actually, the hardest part (for me) was getting a hold of the supplies. There isn't much call for exotic oils on Mackinac Island, though now that I've tried this stuff I'm going to have to keep a jar of it on hand all the time.

If you'd like to make a batch, you'll need:

• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup sweet almond oil
• any kind of essential oil or similar to scent the scrub (if desired)
  

I bought my oil here, though I must admit, I wasn't pleased with their service. When they discovered they couldn't ship to my P.O. box they claim to have emailed me. That email never arrived, while the order confirmation did - so I know they had an accurate address. After a long phone conversation (which made it quite clear to me that customer satisfaction is not at the top of their list) they shipped the oil to me. It arrived in time for the kids to make the scrub, which, in the end, is all that really matters...

Mix the sugar and the oil, put in a tiny bit of smelly stuff (we used a very small amount of almond extract), put it in jars and you're done. One batch made just about three cups of scrub, which for us was three jars - so we ended up making three batches. I wish I could remember where I saw this recipe originally, but I do remember them saying that the recipe was basically a two to one ratio of sugar to oil - and that you could use different oils; olive, and coconut should work as well. In the end I went with the sweet almond oil they used because I try to stick to the original recipe the first time I make something...

We jarred our scrub in pint-size canning jars; dressed up with a pretty fabric circle, a direction label and a coordinated beaded spoon. The spoons were Kitchen Aid measuring spoons which had the "Kitchen Aid" part removed thanks to the help of a Mister Clean Magic Eraser. (I'm still in awe of how handy those little things are.)

The best part was watching the kids' faces as people opened the gifts they made. It was priceless...

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from Mackinac Island!

2009 Teacher Gifts

Part One

Sorry I've been out of commission for a while; life has just been crazy lately. Between finishing up presents, packing for an upcoming trip, and incredible amounts of drama at work, there just hasn't been time for blogging.

Somehow Christmas snuck up on me this year. It was like the weeks between Thanksgiving and December 15th just disappeared, but somehow I survived and managed to make these for the kids teachers - thanks to Kristyn. She made this for Lisa back in October and it was so cute. Thank goodness I filed the idea away, and then when I couldn't find it, that Lisa helped me remember.

They were really easy to make! I just printed out the names onto nice textured card stock and then trimmed it to the right size. The kids picked out the crayons they wanted to use, I hot glued them to the paper, and then I used double sided scrapbooking tape to attach the card stock to the back of the frame. The frames are about 3/4 inch deep collage frames, so those crayons are under glass. (I thought they would be easier to dust that way.) The kids made gifts too, but that's another post...

The Present Plate

The present plate is my first attempt at an Advent Calendar. I had planned on calling it "The Countdown to Christmas" but my five year-old immediately decided "The Present Plate" was a more accurate description and it just stuck. All it is, is my largest serving platter, covered in white and gold snowflake fabric and loaded up with small bags and jewelry boxes (spray painted gold); each containing a small goody or two or an event / experience. For example, some of the things included are:

• glow in the dark bracelets
• two chocolate coins
• two stickers
• new pens and a note that says "write your name"
• a note saying "go to Turtle Park"
• bath confetti with a note saying "tonight is bath night!"
• two Beanie Babies with a note saying "snuggle with your new friend and watch a show"
  
• two small stuffed animals
• a note saying "play a game after dinner"
• new colored pencils
• two pair of snowman socks and a note saying "go jump on the bed!"
• a note saying "make a special project with Mama"
• two new cups with snowmen on them
• two little McDonald's stuffed puppies

Most of the things are items I picked up on clearance throughout the year, at the after Christmas sales last December, or found while thrifting. I bought the bag and plate-covering fabric when it went on sale last year and then saved jewelry boxes all year long. I came up a bit short with the boxes, but a nice sales woman at Kohl's took pity on me and gave me six of them the day after Thanksgiving. In all, I probably have $25.00 invested in it - including the fabric and paint.

I've had so much fun this December watching them take turns opening a present each night after dinner and then eagerly handing the note to their father or me to read. The Present Plate has been good for S and K; it has helped reinforce the lost art of taking turns, the importance of being happy for another's good fortune, remembering to say "thank you" (even when the gift isn't your favorite,) and of course - keeping track of how many days remain until Christmas (since they know we'll open the last one on Christmas Morning.)

I think this is going to become one of our family traditions...