Home

Boy, it is GOOD to be home!  Our trip was wonderful (wonderful) but there is nothing quite like sleeping in your own bed or cooking in your own kitchen after a long stint away.  We came home to a tree full of lemons and an abundance of daffodils.  Even though the weather has been a bit gray today, life feels awfully sunny.

I have an order of organic sleep gowns and blankets on their way from My Baby and Me, fantastic new labels, heaps of art supplies to unpack, a box of super high-quality textile inks arriving later this week and motivation and inspiration to spare.  I'm raring to go!  But since I think it will be a few days before everything is in order, I figure I'd better find a few other projects to channel some of that energy.  A new recipe for lemon cheesecake or lemon muffins perhaps?  Hmmm.  Will keep you posted.

The Label Solution

Well....hopefully.  Since starting Seedling Clothing in January, I've struggled a bit with how to do labels for my hand-printed baby clothing; I want something professional and polished, yet not overly time-consuming.  Because I don't sew the clothing itself, it seemed silly to cut out the existing tags and sew in my own.  There had to be a better way, right?  I've been searching for something like a textile stamp for a while -- to no avail.  I finally found this listing on etsy for retail-grade iron-on labels.  The description sounds just perfect, so fingers crossed that they are equally good in person.  Since the specs for the labels seemed so specific, I thought it best to hire a graphic designer (about $15.00 US for the design with unlimited edits from Color Fiesta Graphics, also on Etsy) to help with the layout.  I feel happy with the results, though I will say it can be hard to convey specific ideas about spacing, etc. over email without feeling really really fussy. 

I like the simplicity, and I love the fantail.  I wonder though, if something more seedling-ish (ie the graphic from my grass design) would work better?  Ah, well.  I'm happy to have found a "for now" solution to the tag dilemma.  And just in time, too.  We'll be home in a week!  Can't wait to get back into the studio.

My Creative Space: Texting

During this trip, I've become well acquainted with "text" mode on my camera.  It produces photos with deep contrasts and rich colors -- to be honest I've been using it for more than text (see all of the photos from my previous post, for instance.)  But it's also inspired me to pay attention to far more everyday fonts than I normally would.  Here are a collection of just a few from the past several weeks.

Coincidentally, I've been working on the design of a new label for Seedling Clothing and have been checking out the wealth of inspiration available (and free to download) at www.dafont.com.  Overwhelming and amazing, both.  I'll share the new label design with you when it's all completed.

Ps, don't you love "Welcome to Freshness?"  I should have that one hanging over my desk.  And my favorite of these, by far is the first -- the 1930's era furnace still going strong in the basement here.   Beautiful....

Pps, check out many more amazing creatives and their spaces over on Kootoyoo.  I'm happy to be joining in this week - - it's been a while....!

How Our Days Have Been Spent

:: picking tri-color raspberries behind the house ::

 

:: lake swimming ::

:: eating cherries from the orchard ::

:: bowling ::

:: throwing rocks (lots and lots of throwing rocks) ::

 :: hammock time ::

:: evening fishing off the dock (my brother-in-law and nephew shown here) ::

Thank you, Montana - - you've been good to us this summer.  We'll miss you!

Gifted

Ahhhhh.....hear that?  I do -- it's the sound a quiet house.  Baby sleeping, grandparents occupied with outdoor chores and Jake and Solomon playing together.  Our wedding is over, and slowly, slowly family and loved ones have begun to trickle away.  It feels sad to see them go....all of the excitement of the past few weeks has begun to wind down.  At the same time, peace and calm are definitely what is needed most right now.  It's wonderful to finally have the chance to sit down with my computer, and I'm really looking forward to getting back to work - - both here on the blog and with Seedling Clothing.

First and foremost, I really must dedicate this post to a few very belated thank yous.  Behold the wonderful gifts I've received from fellow crafters recently!  Cadi, over at Maehe Girl hosted a Baby-Naming Giveaway over at her blog a while back, and I was fortunate enough to win this amazing, intricate and beautifully-hued shawl..... (Check out more of her amazing shawls here.)  Thank you so much Cadi - - I felt incredibly lucky to win this piece of artwork.

Next, I was surprised and delighted to receive a package from my friend and fellow crafter, Emiko with two bandana-style bibs in absolutely adorable fabrics.  One for my nephew, Clem, and the other for Aya (though Clem generously shared his bib with Aya, who is shown with both here.)  So thoughtful and generous.  We love them!  Find Emiko's awesome Etsy shop here.

Thank you both so much for the wonderful gifts.
I'm happy to say that I'll be able to check in more regularly from now on.... see you soon!

East

This post will mostly just consist of photos - - we've been traveling a lot.  A lot a lot.  In the past three weeks, we've slept in 8 different places.  Boy, are we ready to unpack and stay put.  Our family has returned to Montana now, where we'll stay for a few more weeks before finally, finally retuning home to New Zealand.  It's been a wonderful trip, and time with family has been amazing.  All the same, I imagine that settling into the quiet of our daily life will feel very peaceful and right once all of the travel has come to an end.  Reassuring to think that even when this once-in-a-lifetime trip has finished, there is still much to look forward to.

Anyway, prior to this we've spent some time in the East -- mostly on an island in the Isles of Shoals.  It is an intentionally un-techy sort of place, so we didn't bring our computer with us.  It was nice to feel a bit disconnected; but now of course, I appreciate being in touch with the wider world again.   Hello, world -- it's good to be back!

These photos are from Star Island -- the first was taken by my husband, Jake.
 

Less than a week from now my husband and I will have another wedding celebration lakeside; we were married a while back in the Abel Tasman, but now it's time to include our American family and friends.  Our celebration will be pretty laid-back:  swimming, BBQ, homemade pies, and an awesome bluegrassy band.  I imagine the next few days will feel pretty full as guests arrive, we complete some (er, all) last minute details and finally finalize our vows and the ceremony (eep!)  Wish us luck.

 PS. As soon as I can dig my camera out of my bag, I'll take a few shots of the gorgeous shawl I won over at Maehe Girl and share them with you.   It's gorgeous.  Thank you so much Cadi!