I’ve mentioned Karen Maezen Miller and her book Momma Zen in an earlier post about parenting. She’s just released her second book, Hand Wash Cold, Care Instructions for an Ordinary Life. I’m a little over half way through it (it’s much harder to read books now that my boys are “free to roam about the cabin”) and am once again loving her wit, honesty, and reminders to trust ourselves more than we might be giving ourselves credit for. Her book seems to slow down time and unfold (while folding the laundry) the beauty in the everyday “chores” we often forget to notice.

If you have the opportunity to find yourself unwinding into one of her books please drop me a line. I’d love to hear what beauty you noticed after reading her releasing words.

Last year I was lucky enough to spend my first Mother’s Day with my boys and my mom. We spent a lovely morning at home holding babies (one napper) while enjoying a breakfast made by my husband.

In the afternoon we ventured out to the Sparks Marina to check out the Arts in Bloom Festival. There were many artists with handmade wares but we were there to support my friend Amanda who was selling her handmade pottery. Turns out she didn’t need our help with sales as her table was busy and she had little left in her collection by the end of the day.

This Sunday Amanda will be there again with all new pieces. I got a sneak peak into some fun and functional new pieces she’s been working on that you need to scoop up for yourself. She’ll be set up near the stage.

Hope you get out to the marina to enjoy the sun and art. Have a fabulous Mother’s Day!

driving through sunlight
under an ocean of air
the day is buoyant

by Anne Domagala

Here’s hoping your weekend leaves you feeling buoyant. I’ll be taking my boys to Rancho San Rafael Park Family Kite Day to enjoy the warm air and sunlight.

Nearly a year ago some friends and I jokingly started emailing each other haikus. Some are serious, most just for fun. But, it was something creative we could share and look forward to amidst a work week that seemed never ending. Here’s one of mine:

Woke to little smiles
Makes even sleepy days bright
Lucky mom am I

Want to make a unique piece of jewelry for Mother’s Day? Want to restring an old necklace you’ve been meaning to repair? Want some time to let your mind and hands relax into creativity? Then join me, next weekend!

I’m teaching a beading class at the Nevada Museum of Art next Saturday, April 17th. You can sign up here. If you have any questions, leave a comment and I’ll email you.

Hope to see you there!

We’ve had some recent competition in the house over a bell rattle that was my husband’s as a child.

In an attempt to seek out a solution by adding another toy based on the bell noise I crocheted this jiggle bell toy. *Please note* that after letting my son Finn test this toy I determined that this is not age appropriate for our 16M old boys because of the potential choking hazard. He wanted to nibble on the bells. This is better suited for an older child ready to rock-out with some more advanced instruments.

This is my first attempt at a tutorial so please let me know if you have any questions or tips of your own.

Here we go…

What you’ll need:

-Embroidery floss or yarn
-Crochet hook to match the size of your yarn
-Jingle craft bells with holes for stringing

1. String some bells (I used five small bells) on some embroidery floss (leave floss attached to original skein). It’s a good idea to string more than you think you will use.

2. Crochet five chain stitches (see video tutorial here, click on “chain stitch”).

3. Pull first bell taut to your crochet hook.

4. Crochet five more chain stitches and add another bell. Repeat until you have your desired length and have used all but one of your bells. I made our toy just big enough to fit over my boys’ wrists.

5. After your last five stitches you can place the last bell. I didn’t do this but wish I would have to make it look even all the way around. If you do this crochet one more chain stitch and stop. If you want your toy to look just like mine then crochet five more chain stitches after your last bell.

6. Next, clip the embroidery floss about three inches past your crochet hook and last loop. Pull that tail of floss through the last loop on your chain and pull it tight.

7. Tie the two ends together with a couple knots. You can put a dab of glue on the knots for security. If using glue, please be sure this glued knot doesn’t have the potential of going into a teething toddler’s mouth. Clip tails from knots and enjoy!

A huge shout-out to Ashley of Paisley Ann Designs for her fabulous City Design Guide on Design*Sponge. I can’t tell you how excited I was to see our great city make the list. I recently used the Santa Fe Design Guide and had a blast exploring the list of things to see, eat, and do. Be sure to read through the comments on the post as many locals have added their favorite venues, too.

I was lucky enough to meet Ashley last summer at the West Street Market here in Reno. I bought one of her beautiful bird mobiles for my boys’ room. She is as amazing in person as she is on her blog. And, she totally hit my soft spot by loving up my boys.

Congrats Reno on making the Design Guide and many thanks to Ashley and d*s for putting us on the design map!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! May yours be full of little red headed boys and tall pints of Guinness.