I'll slow down after the new year...

...but until then, I'm keeping a pretty frantic pace.

I finally printed out a few planner pages (thank you, donnayoung.org, for all the printable calender and planner pages I could ever use) today because the jumble of things I need to do in the next two months was causing some severe sleep deprivation.  Putting the mess on paper got it out of my head so that I can sleep at night.  Yesterday afternoon, as I began to fade out after only 3 hours of sleep the night before, I decided to make coffee.  Generally I drink one mug of half-caff in the morning and that's it.  Well, I brewed up half a pot of very strong Ethiopian coffee and drank three mugs the size of a soup bowl (thanks, Annita, for the new mug--it'll be handy for morning coffee or soaking my tired feet in).  I got pretty wired; Una said I was vibrating...

Much of what's on my mind is related to Christmas.  Making things for the shop and for the kids.  I finally finished these little pocket gnome-babies and got them listed in the shop, with a couple put aside for Gemma and my niece.  I think they turned out well, the proof being that my boys, right up to my soon-to-be 12 year old, all love them and ask, "Can you make one for me?")

I'm sharing this on Keep Calm, Craft On {Crafting On}, on Frontier Dreams and Creative Friday on Natural Suburbia.  So...what are you working on for Christmas?

I'm late! I'm late--for a very important date!

Nicole of Frontier Dreams is generously hosting a giveaway for our shop, Frost Lane from today through Saturday in honor of Michaelmas (September 29th).  We are giving away a very lovely sword and shield set (or toddler-sized dagger and small shield set, winner's choice) and offering a discount in the shop for the rest of the month.  Stop by Frontier Dreams and leave a comment to enter!

Frost Lane giveaway on Wild Armadillos!

We're excited; Bret and I are being featured on Wild Armadillos today, and we are giving away one of our shop's sword and shield sets, plus a dagger.  Stop on by there to see our interview and get a chance to win!

Creative Friday--crafting for Christmas

Advent is always marked by a flurry of Christmas crafting around here!  I have been furiously knitting since October, and for the last few weeks it has just been hats for the menfolk in the family...I still have one to do for my husband, and then I may attempt to knit up a couple of pairs of requested fingerless mitts.

There are other holiday gifts for the kids in the works which for obvious reasons cannot be mentioned here.

I haven't had time to make all the things I had intended to make for our Etsy shop before Christmas; I'd had plans for St. Nicholas dolls and tree ornaments and such, and just can't manage it.  I did manage to make two stockings from this adorable fabric, and they are available at Frost Lane.  I used the scraps--too cute to toss out--to make a few little stuffed ornaments for our tree.   They are backed with red felt.

I have loads to do and so many fabulous ideas (Pinterest is killing me!), that the days are too short and too few between now and Christmas.

So...what have you been up to?  Drop by Natural Suburbia for Creative Friday and to see all the fabulous things being crafted!

A few new sketchbooks for the shop

I've been busy with sketchbooks lately...it feels good to be "flexing my bookbinder muscles" again.  Having finished these, I will be ready to sew up another batch as soon as my paper order comes in from my supplier.  I have also received my first custom order, which I am very happy to fulfill!

These and other goodies are available in our Etsy shop, Frost Lane.  Come visit!

And don't forget to drop by Linda's Creative Friday on Natural Suburbia!

The Miscellany Room

When we moved to this house, we turned the carport into an addition, and this we divided into two "rooms" separated by a bank of cabinets.  One side was to be the school room and the other my bindery.  Four children and 8 years later, not a whole lot of bookbinding has been done here, but in the interim the room has become the room that holds all that cannot be held elsewhere.

Plastic bins of out of season clothing.  Piles of ironing.  Things to put up in the attic crawl-space.  My yarn stash.  My fabric stash and sewing machine.  Drawers of beads, boxes of papers, crafting items of every conceivable type.  Herb seedlings, bags and boxes of things to donate to the local thrifts.  Home schooling materials that are currently not in use.  A cheese press I've not yet tried.  A box I fill with gifts made and purchased throughout the year, and a container of wrapping paper, ribbons and gift bags.  A box with my Etsy stock and a corner crammed full of mailing supplies.  Cardboard for shipping larger items.  Things that need to be repaired by Bret or by myself.

It is a mess, and every time I manage to get it cleaned up (usually before Christmas, because the room becomes "Christmas Central" every Advent), it rarely stays that way for more than a couple of weeks.

Still, this addition, with the cheery walls and floors and the many windows, is my favorite part of the house, having been designed by yours truly.  And it holds makings of many, many creative pursuits.  When my children have a desire to make something, the items they need to make it can frequently be found in here.

I groan at the mess whenever I have to do something in here, but I find it a better thing to spend a few hours making than cleaning...and as long as the mess is confined to this part of the house and not the living room or dining room, I can handle it.  It is, after all, not a mess of neglect, but one of activity.

What does your creative space look like?

I am linking this post to Nicole's Keep Calm, Craft On post...in which she shows a bit of her own creative mess!

Una's portraits

Una loves to dress up her brothers, use my camera and then fiddle about with Picnik.  I just had to share some of the stuff she's done.  Today she posted photos she took of Dominic dressed first as Little John, and then as Will Scarlet, both of Robin Hood fame.  A while back she did the boys up as Civil War soldiers...

Winter warmth from Rhythm of the Home

I submitted a holiday recipe of mine to Rhythm of the Home for their winter issue, available online today, and it was happily accepted!  I'm joining other contributors and offering some goodies from my Etsy shop for a giant giveaway on the ROTH blog, so stop by and take a look!

If you haven't read this already...

...please do.  It is one of the best posts Elizabeth Foss has written, and although I am not yet a mother to young adults, time passes so quickly as to leave me breathless in its wake, and my children will be grown before long.
What I'm Never Going to Tell You

Blog Love

I had the best of intentions to start this day off very productively, and then, after quickly posting my {pretty, happy, funny, real} post, I made the grave mistake of checking out Google Reader for what is up with my favorite bloggers.  I got hooked on all the eye-candy this morning, and here it is, after 7 and I am still in a nightgown with a laptop before me!  Look at some of my favorite blogs this morning:

Suzy, at Scraps of Starlight, has a beautiful journal entry of one of her unschooling days with her sweet girls.

Shannon, at Rhythm & Rhyme, is hosting a pincushion swap and has photos of some gorgeous little works of art.

Ginny, at Small Things, has made some wonderful skirts and sweaters for her girls (how ever do you do it, Ginny?!)

And Nicole, at Frontier Dreams, took her girls to the State Fair, and has some wonderfully fun photos of the day spent there.

How can I be expected to get on with my day when you ladies keep posting such tantalizing pages?  In any case, thank you for the inspiration!

Online Curriculum Sale Blog Hop

Jessica, at Shower of Roses, is hosting an online curriculum sale.  What a fabulous idea!  I have a big pile of things we no longer use (some that were purchased and never used!), and although I have listed a few of these things on Cathswap, I made another pass over the shelves yesterday and found a few more things.

Although I am listing the shipping individually, if you buy several items, I will of course be happy to combine the shipping.  Just leave a comment telling me what items you would like, and then you can email me at nadjamagdalena (at) gmail (dot) com to finalize a sale.  I can email you back with a total and my Paypal or mailing address.

 1)  Saxon 7/6, 2005, Fourth Edition.  Textbook and Solutions Manual.  Good used condition, no tears or scribbled pages.  $20 includes postage.

2)   Saxon 5/4, 2005, Fourth Edition.  Textbook and Solutions Manual.  Good used condition, no tears or scribbled pages.  $20 includes postage.  

 3)  Handwriting Without Tears, Kindergarten Teacher's Guide.  New, never used.  $6, includes postage.

    4)  Handwriting Without Tears, Second Grade Teacher's Guide.  New, never used.  $6, includes postage.

5) Religion 2 for Young Catholics.  Good used condition.  No writing, no tears.  $7, includes postage.
6) Religion 3 for Young Catholics.  Very good used condition.  No writing or tears $8, includes postage.

7)   Lingua Mater, Language Lessons from Literature (Grade 7 English) with Answer Key and Teacher's Guide--front cover of the student text has a bumped corner, otherwise in excellent condition.  $25 for the set, postage included.

 8)  Writing Strands, like-new condition.  $10, includes postage.
9)  Geography Songs, Booklet and CD, like-new condition (CD played only a couple of times).  $12, includes postage.

 10)  Primary Language Lessons, good used condition.  $5 includes postage.  SOLD
11)  Intermediate Language Lessons by Emma Serl (Lost Classics Book Company).  Hardcover, may have a few interior pencil marks, otherwise in excellent condition.  $10 includes postage.  SOLD

 12)  My First Spanish & English Dictionary.  Good Used Condition.  $3 includes postage.
13)  My Rosary Coloring Book (includes the Luminous Mysteries).  Like new.  $3 includes postage.

 14)  This is Our Land (Seton reader for 4th Grade), good used condition, no tears or marks.  $10 includes postage.
15)  Book of Gladness (Seton reader for 4th Grade), good used condition, no tears or marks.  $10 includes postage  If you want both books, I will sell the set for $17, including postage.

 16)  If You're Trying to Teach Kids to Write, You've Gotta Have This Book!  (loads of ideas for encouraging reluctant writers to write).  Used, no tears or marks.  $5, includes postage.

 17)  A Peek Into My Church.  Like new condition.  $8 includes postage.
18)  Leading the Little Ones to Mary.  $2.50 includes postage.  SOLD

 19) Once Upon a Time Rosary Activity Set.  There are 4 folders, one for each mystery, with a coloring page and activities to help children learn the Rosary.  Never used.  $5 includes postage.  SOLD

Now we are moving out of curriculum to some other resources, Catholic and otherwise:

 20)  The Montessori Method, Roger McCaffrey Publishing.  Lovely hardbound reprint of the first English edition of Maria Montessori's methods.  Has many lovely old black and white photos of Dr. Montessori and her pupils.  $14 includes postage.
21)  Creation Rediscovered: Evolution and the Importance of the Origins Debate.  Excellent condition.  $12 includes postage.

 22)  A Mother's Rule of Life.  Excellent condition.  $6 includes postage.
23)  401 Ways to Get Your Kids to Work at Home.  $4 includes postage

 23)  Descending Fire--the Journal of a Soul Aflame.  Like new, $3 includes postage.
24)  Keep It Simple--They Busy Catholic's Guide to Growing Closer to God.  Very good used condition.  $3, includes postage.

 24)  Catholic Shrines and Places of Pilgrimage in the United States.  Like new, $4, includes postage.
25)  Praying Our Experiences.  Very good condition.  $3, includes postage.

 26)  Roman Catholic Daily Missal.  This is the reprint of the 1962 version, which Angelus Press reprinted.  It is for the Tridentine Mass.  Read all about its contents here.  It sells for $63 new.  This one was never used (I have an old one that belonged to a priest which I favor), and it has a blank bookplate on the front verso flyleaf.  $45 includes First Class shipping (if you order other items, I will send this separately, and not Media Mail).SOLD

27)  Catechism of the Catholic Church.  Two copies, both like new.  Each is $4, including postage.

Again, leave a comment telling me what you want, and email me so that I can give you a total with combined shipping and give you payment details.  If you can't leave a comment, just email me.  I will try to stay on top of my email...

Thanks for looking!

The best Elsa Beskow book giveaway ever!

We are talking about 19--yes, that's right!--19 Elsa Beskow books!  You can find this terrific giveaway over at Jump into a Book, and it is open until July 31st.  One lucky winner will receive the following:

• The Sun Egg
• The Land of Long Ago
• Princess Sylvie
• Children of the Forest
• The Curious Fish
• Peter in Blueberry Land
• Emily and Daisy
• Pelle's New Suit
• Around the Year
• Woody, Hazel, and Little Pip
• The Flowers' Festival
• Aunt Green, Brown, and Lavender
• Christopher's Harvest Time
• Peter's Old House
• Ollie's Ski Trip
• Peter and Lotta's Adventure
• Uncle Blue's New Boat
• Peter and Lottas Christmas
• The Tale of the Little, Little, Old Woman

She has given everyone loads of opportunities to win, so do stop by and join in!

Our Marian ATCs have arrived!

We were all so excited to receive our Marian Artist Trading Cards in the mail yesterday!  Una has participated in the For All the Saints swap at the end of last year, but this was the first time Dominic and I had joined in.  Beginning with Dominic, then, here are the cards he drew for the swap:

And here are the sweet cards he received in exchange:

Una's artwork:

And the cards she received:

And my artwork:

And the lovely cards I received in exchange:

Okay, Kimberlee...we are ready for the next swap!

Look what I won!

Are these hand-crafted hair clips not precious?  Will they not look fantastic with this cardigan, providing it still fits her in the fall (I'll have to knit another if it doesn't!)?  And they came all the way from Australia!  Thanks so much, Jacinta!

Three years of blogging and more.

Today marks the third anniversary of my first post.  So much has gone on in three years.  Nuala's calf, Naomi, was born and Naomi is sold, and the calf is now ready to be bred herself.  Dominic and Adrian are no longer preschoolers, but Dominic will be starting Kindergarten next year and Adrian first grade.  Una has her own blog, and we are going to build a house on a new patch o' dirt.

I still have something of a love-hate relationship with blogging.  I still resent it when I find that I am giving it undue time and consideration.  But then I look back at the posts, the photos, the friends I have made and people I have come to know a bit across the miles, and I think that perhaps it is worthwhile, as long as I keep it all in perspective.  I am not out to win a popularity contest, nor do I wish to compete for best-designed blog or most entertaining posts.  I am happy for the followers I have, glad that they find something here that attracts them and makes them want to return again and again.  It is good to find kindred spirits across the globe.  But in truth, this is my electronic scrapbook of sorts, where I record our days and how I spend them.

Today is also the deadline for getting our ATCs in the mail.  Una, Dominic and I participated this time, and our cards are just about ready to go.  We are very excited and can't wait until all the sorting is done and we receive the cards of other participants in the mail.

Also today a friend of ours, Deacon Anthony Stoeppel, is to be ordained a priest today in his diocese in Texas.  I wish him every blessing.  He is going to be an exceptional priest, and I feel privileged to know him.  Unfortunately, I have searched high and low for the beautiful card I bought him at the Casa Maria gift shop, and I can't seem to find it anywhere!

And today is the birthday of Una's friend Haily, who is twelve today.  Birthday blessings to a very, very sweet girl.  We wish you a wonderful day!

Hm...have I missed anything...?  No?  Well, have a great weekend...

Psssst! Check out my daughter's post!

Una took the camera out on a little walk yesterday and came back with some really nice photos taken on and around our Patch O' Dirt.  I have been sort of house-bound lately (just too much to do indoors and chilly weather outdoors), and so am rather envious of the lovely shots she took!  She posted them here this morning.

Yarn Along--and a Giveaway!

Joining in once again for Ginny's weekly Yarn Along, and looking forward to seeing what everyone else is reading and knitting or crocheting!

I have finished the body of Gemma's summer cardigan (our church is freezing in the summer!  They say it is because the confessional doors stick in humid weather, but perhaps it is a way of insuring modest dress in the summer when girls start showing up in shorter skirts and sleeveless tops!), and have only the sleeves, blocking and buttons to do.  I am starting a hat for Japan (have you started yours?) and am tempted to start another sweater as well--I have a goal of making something for each of the kids by this November, but that may be ambitious for me, as I am a slow knitter with very limited time.

I also managed to finish The Invisible World--Understanding Angels, Demons and the Spiritual Realities That Surround Us, which I have been reading through the last few Yarn Alongs  (you can read my little review of the book right here).  Anyway, I was given, in exchange for my honest review, the reading copy along with an extra copy to give away on my blog, so if you are interested in reading it, here is your chance to obtain a copy for free!  Just leave a comment here between now and Sunday, May 15th, midnight EST, and I will randomly choose a winner on Monday (I will be gone Friday through Sunday).

Good luck, and happy knitting and reading!