The Homesteady

Here & there

We continue to try doing our "hard best" (as Miles put it once, and I'm incapable of letting it go) with new transitions in our home and lives.

August was a month full of travel, from Pennsylvania (meeting Kristie's family halfway to see them for the first time in two years) to New York City (a day trip to visit my sister, sandwiched between two nights at my parents' house) to Cape Cod (a week in a house very close to the seashore, brimming with people and laughter). How lucky we were to spend so much time with family members we adore, and then to flee homeward for a few months of hopeful quiet during our favorite season! Such abundance and gratitude.

Miles moved up to a new class at preschool, kindergarten prep. Luckily four of his best buddies from his old class moved with him, so I think that made for an easier adjustment. 

I started my own academic adventure, enrolling in my very first graduate class in history (online). I'm a non-credit student, still curious about whether a masters degree fits into our family and plans, but am meanwhile enjoying the work of reading, thinking, and writing. This is my first class since I graduated from Mount Holyoke in 2009, and doing homework feels like using a muscle I'd long forgotten.

And I'm back in the office, two days a week at least. It is this transition, coupled with Miles's I think, that has me thinking wistfully about a reality in which I could be at home with him during the days. This was a surprise as I haven't often felt pulled to be an at-home parent or to homeschool, but lately I've been imagining both. But regardless of whether it would be a good fit, whether we'd be happy, it's not a possibility for our family – at least right now. (Also, how? How am I possibly yearning for this after the challenges of quarantine with a three-year-old?! But I am!) In the meantime, I'm trying to bring that energy to the time we do have together – and finding that we're connecting better and having more fun.

Just a couple of links to share today...

 

I like this raw edge shelf DIY

Have you watched the new documentary series "LuLaRich" on Amazon Prime yet? It's an elegant takedown of LuLaRoe and other MLMs. I can't stop watching.

Miles has decided to be a ghost for Halloween; I think I'm going to try to remake this [af link] using this tutorial

Next on my knitting needles: a beautiful blanket, and Frog and Toad for Miles's birthday

Bobble Sweater for Baby (Free Knitting Pattern)

If you haven't tried it yet, I hope I have the honor of introducing you to the free Flax Sweater pattern by Tin Can Knits. I've worked it up several times, and love its simplicity – and opportunities for modifying, like I did above by omitting the garter panel on the sleeves, and adding bobbles throughout the pattern.

I had pledged that 2021 was going to be a year of selfish knitting (where I knitted only for myself to build my handmade wardrobe) but I'm already – happily! – slipping on that vow. My friends just keep making tiny beautiful humans and I can't help but knit tiny things for them! 

A Boston day trip

Miles's preschool was closed on July 5 for the Independence Day holiday, and we decided to spend it visiting an old friend of mine who lives in Boston.

We packed up the car the night before, and drove the hour and a half east in the morning (even managing to leave a little early for once!). After a year-plus of sticking rather close to home, this was Miles's longest car ride in his memory, and I was feeling a little apprehensive. We'd prepared, though – I used my favorite car trip trick, which is to collect a few new little toys and books, and wrap them in wrapping paper ahead of time. Then we wait until his boredom with other car activities has absolutely reached its limit before pulling one out. The anticipation and excitement of unwrapping an unexpected present is a distraction in and of itself, and then of course there is the toy to play with! On the way home he also watched about 40 minutes on his tablet. 

We met up with my friend at the New England Aquarium (Miles had been there once before as a baby), and then went together to Boston Common for swan boat rides, ice cream, and even a trip on the merry-go-round. I packed our copy of Make Way for Ducklings, which we read in the shade while dipping our feet in the pond, and we visited the duckling statues too. 

This trip felt charmed – which I think was thanks to part magic and part planning. I'm glad we purchased our aquarium tickets ahead of time, and prepared Miles for mask-wearing and hand-holding in the crowds. We followed his lead much of the time, like letting him wade in the Frog Pond with Kristie while my friend and I waited in line for the carousel, catching each other up on our lives. (It was such a gift to reconnect with him.) The day of course featured a couple near-meltdowns and two outfit changes (see soaked shorts below!), but we pulled into the driveway as evening settled marveling at our good, good day. I'm ready for more summer adventures with this crew.

New House: Our Dreamy, Family-Friendly Back Porch

The back porch of our new home was one of the reasons we were so excited to put in an offer on this house.

(Side note: Buying a house in the middle of a pandemic was a straight-up nightmare. We were constantly getting priced out by buyers who were even agreeing to waive inspections. This house, which we closed on in December and moved into in January, was our sixth offer. I was convinced we wouldn't get it. The sellers' agent said that they chose our offer because of the letter we wrote! We feel so lucky every day.)

Anyway, we thought the back porch could be renovated into an additional living space, but when the contractors' estimates came back way higher than we were expecting, we decided to embrace it as a three-season living/dining room.

Ready for the "before" picture?

Yeesh. Up until last month really we were using the porch as sort of a catch-all for outdoor toys, furniture, and strollers. Once the early spring pollen calmed down (all the windows are just screens), I took a day off of work and painted the ceiling, floor, and steps. 

It took my wife Kristie and I forever to pick out a rug we both liked!! This one is indoor/outdoor, and big enough to protect a lot of the painted floor from being scraped by furniture and kids.

I love the functionality of this station – a helmet hook for Miles (so his helmet doesn't get left out in the rain!), and water toys, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, bug spray, and sun screen in a basket organizer on the bottom shelf of the bar cart, along with beach towels ready to go. (There's an Amazon Echo [af link] hiding back there too.) The tray on top is how I cart dishes and utensils into and out of the kitchen – we've been eating dinner out here almost every night lately. The sliding doors below lead right into the kitchen and our indoor dining space, so it's an easy choice to make.

Miles's play kitchen is out here for the summer too. We keep those brown folding chairs nearby for extra seating. 

Our vintage radio is tuned to a local oldies station. Miles loves turning up the volume and running circles around the table and chairs!

SOURCES

Wicker furniture / Vintage (passed on from family)
Cushions on wicker furniture / Ikea
Rug / Lowe's
Table / Walmart [affiliate link]
Bench / Ikea, old
Bench cushions / Target [affiliate link]
Pink side table / Marshalls
Green side table / Thrifted
Clock / Target [affiliate link]
Wire signs / Target [affiliate link]
Play kitchen / Ikea, thrifted
Play coffee maker / Target [affiliate link]
Bar cart / Thrifted
String lights / Target [affiliate link]
Throw pillows / Sewn with fabric from Joann's
Radio / Thrifted
Glass bottles / Thrifted
Folding chairs / Ikea, old
Tiny white wicker chair / Vintage (passed on from family)
Circular gold plant stand / Thrifted
Square face planter / Target [affiliate link]
Dining chairs / Home Depot

Gender (stereotype)-free toddler clothes, v.4

Tie-Dye Hoodie / Two-Pack Tank Tops
Quilted Jacket / Cotton Shorts
Suede Sandals / Terry Geo Sweatpants

These are all affiliate links.

New Knit: Aldous Sweater

Sharing a recent knit today – the Aldous sweater by Isabell Kraemer. I really like how it turned out, especially the shoulder construction and the twisted braid details at the cuffs and hem.

It's worth noting: the first day I wore it (and took these photos) I also got to hold and snuggle some wiggly perfect puppies, whose tiny nails made a few snags in the sweater. (Worth it.)

Aside from the Copenhagen baby blanket, this is the only other project I've done that used such a light weight yarn, and such small needles. It was a little maddening at times, and I was very aware that I was creating fabric. 

Family Photos at Apple Orchard in Bloom

One of our favorite photographers Kim of Time Bandit Photography offered special mini sessions on Mother's Day weekend, and I signed us up right away. Kim has such a talent for making people (especially kiddos!) feel relaxed and at ease in front of the camera. I adore these photos, which were taken in the apple orchard at Quonquont Farm in Whately, where Kristie and I got married eight years ago.

(Just a note: We don't share pictures of Miles's face on the internet, but Kim made sure we got plenty of snaps of his smiles for our family. This is a small selection of the dozens of gorgeous images she captioned.)

My romper is from Target (and currently on sale) [affiliate link], and my sweater is Gap via ThredUp. (Use this link for $10 off your first purchase.)

Sewing: Tiered Dress

I was browsing sewing patterns on Etsy (like you do) when I saw this lovely tiered dress. It looked a little more elaborate than what I typically sew, but the reviews were good, so I bought it. Immediately I knew I wanted to make it in white cotton, and intentionally chose a fabric with more structure. The dress holds its shape quite well. 

The pattern [affiliate link] is very spare, as some of the reviews mention. I got tripped up at one point and messaged the seller, who got back to me very quickly with helpful advice. The gathering, which I was most nervous about, was actually really easy. Overall I enjoyed it, and am happy with the dress! I was on the fence about making another dress using this pattern, but now I can't get the idea of making one in blue gingham out of my head. 

C is for Caffeine (A Free Printable For Teacher Gifts)

I designed this printable for Miles's preschool teachers' Teacher Appreciation Day gifts last month, and wanted to share them here too in case you're looking for something a little extra to go with a coffee gift card for the end of the year! 

I kept the design pretty simple so that Miles could add his own decorations with markers and stickers. I printed them on thick cardstock, trimmed the edges a little, and taped the gift card in the middle. 

Find the printable right here!

Free Punch Needle Pattern: Sun Pillow

When we moved to our new house, I knew I wanted to update the decor in Miles's room a little bit. It really hadn't changed since we'd set it up before he was born. He's definitely a woodland-loving kid, and is also really into outer space and constellations. I decided to do an outer space theme in his new room, with soft colors like purple (currently his favorite).

I made two new throw pillows for a reading area in his room. Punch needle is a new craft to me – in fact I'd only done one kit [affiliate link] before making the pattern and punching this pillow. It's so fun and satisfying! Read on for a list of what I used and how I made the pillow – plus the free pattern so you can make one too if you like.

I used:

• Pattern
• Monk cloth [affiliate link]
• Oxford #10 punch needle
• 16" round pillow form
• Scrap fabric
• Worsted weight yarn in light yellow, dark yellow, light pink, and black
• Large embroidery hoop

The pattern is designed to print on four separate pages. Once they've printed, arrange and tape them together to create the smiling sun design.

After the printed pieces have been taped together, use another piece of tape to hang them in a window. With one hand, hold the monk cloth over the printed pattern so that the light from outdoors shines through and the pattern is visible through the fabric. Use a pencil to trace the pattern onto the cloth.

Use your embroidery hoop to keep the fabric in place, and start punchin', switching yarn colors and rearranging your hoop as necessary. If you're new to punch needle, please check out Sallie Dale's Instagram story highlights for tips and techniques. 

When you're finished, measure the size you'll need to fit the pillow insert, and cut out a circle around the punched piece, leaving room for seam allowance, too. Cut the same shape from scrap fabric to serve as the pillow's back.

Pin both pieces right side together, and sew almost all the way around, leaving an opening wide enough to insert the pillow form. Turn the piece right side out, and insert the pillow form. Use your preferred method to stitch the opening closed.

The pillow is definitely a sunny spot in Miles's new bedroom, and he even sleeps with it in his crib some nights. I haven't done any punch needle projects since finishing this in January, but now I want to pick it up again! Do you punch needle?

Chair [affiliate link]
Fabric used to sew other pillow
Rug [affiliate link]
Wall decals in antique violet [affiliate link]
Cloud light [affiliate link]
Bookshelves