Creative Homestead

Celine has been sewing up a storm these days.  To hear the sewing machine humming, to provide feedback for her design ideas and to see the quality work she's producing is such a blessing to this mama's heart. I feel a sense of deep satisfaction as she makes this learning her own, knowing that the way we've chosen to homeschool has given her the time she needs to pursue her own goals and dreams.

Sigh... I am a happy homeschooling parent.

One of Celine's recent projects was to sew a sock monkey for her cousin, who turns two years old the beginning of next month.  This was a paid commission from her aunt to create a handmade toy that the parents (Celine's aunt and uncle) could give to their son as a gift.  

I am so proud of Celine for accepting this project and following through.  Damien and I encouraged her to take on the project and offered whatever help she needed. But ultimately the choice to make it and the work was done by her.

We took her shopping to buy an appropriate pair of socks, helped her find a pattern, read through the instructions with her and at the very end helped her sew on the eyes and mail the finished product. But that was it, the rest was her doing. 

In case you are interested in doing a similar project this is the pattern Celine used, found at Craftbits.com. The instructions are straightforward and Celine was very pleased with the end result.

But more importantly Celine was pleased with the process. This girl loves to sew and I couldn't be happier for her. These are Celine's own words for how she feels when she's sewing, "I'm in my element!"  Music to a mother's ears. 

I can almost taste victory.  Their room had been emptied of all the contents and freshly painted (thanks Dad!). The sheer curtains we found at Goodwill months ago have been hung, a new ceiling fan installed and bedside tables cleaned off. 

More than half of the toys, collections and handmade creations have been sorted and many (more than I dared hoped for) have been put in boxes to sell, donate and (unfortunately) throw away. This Saturday we'll finish going through the girl's stuff, currently scattered all over our bedroom floor, and put the room back together for good. 

The end is in sight.

When all is said and done I plan to post complete before and after photos. I can't wait to see how few bins of toys (tee, hee) remain. 

After writing that I was almost out of toothpaste and going to have to start making my own very soon I found just one more tube of Tom's in the cupboard.

Then my parents visited last week and stole it when they left. Actually they didn't steal it, they mistook it for their own and went home with one extra. No matter, I was happy to give them a tube of their favorite paste.

That was just the push I needed to start concocting my own. And I don't use that word concocting lightly.

Based on everything you've all shared with me and my own research I'm mixing essential oils, coconut oil, baking soda, green mash and vodka. Coming up with... you don't want to know.

It's a process and when I stumble upon a recipe that works for us I'll share it with you. But right now I'm using my family as toothpaste guinea pigs. And what a wonderful family they are to put up with me. Even though Celine said earlier this week between top and bottom brushing, "Tis my fate to live with a mother who makes herbal toothpaste."