Holly Jolly

Market season is officially over! Woo Hoo! It was over for Walter about a month ago as you can see. He maybe had patience for about 5 minutes into the Bloomington Handmade Market which was my first of three. You can see the evidence above.


This past weekend was Christmas in New Harmony which is this adorable town about an hour south of where I live. I just discovered it a few months ago. It is a magical, special place. It's like some sort of oasis in the mid-west. I participated in the Artisan market which was held in their Granary. I changed up my display after fierce display envy at previous markets. I wanted to have a subtle, soft forest environment for my Pink Cheeks. I like it a lot, but I am planning on re-doing it and making the trees taller because they get hidden behind my cuddly pink-cheeked friends. The market was wonderful. All the other vendors were delightful and I spent the entire time laughing and eating cake balls which were being sold one level down from me.


The ceiling of the Granary was beautiful:


Also one level down was Santa and Mrs. Claus. In between groups of kids I caught Santa taking a snooze. I don't blame him, it's a busy time of year.

I have several orphaned Pink Cheeks up in my Etsy shop. From now until Christmas you can get 10% off by entering the coupon code: hollyjolly. Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanza and Happy
Hanukka!

Bloomington Handmade Market

I made this friendly fellow last week. I like him very much. I finally was able to make a newsie hat, which I always though suited my very serious mustache men.


I liked it so much, I made another.


And also 2 pirates. They are both named Smithee. I can't seem to write individual biographies for my Pink Cheeks lately. I blame my rowdy toddler. But, I also love my rowdy toddler, so I am okay with it. I am going to start being kinder to myself instead of demanding crazy things. I am my own boss after all, and I'd rather be a kind and nurturing boss than one with unreasonable expectations. Anyway, here is Smithee's story:

Smithee is fond of the sea and parrots, so it is the pirates' life for him. He is not into theft and forced plank-walking, so his chosen pirate responsibility is mopping the deck. He doesn't like conflict, it makes him break out in hives. He doesn't want his co-pirates to think him wimpy,however. So, when there is a ship that need plundering, or a dispute requiring rumbling,Smithee pretends he doesn't notice on account of a rough stain on the deck that needs vigorous scrubbing. His fellow pirates are on to his act, they appreciate how the deck of their ship shines like gold.

Yay yay hurray for the Bloomington Handmade Market. YAy yay hurray for Bloomington and its strong lattes and freshly boiled bagels! Yay for its cute babies in homemade knit onesies! I love the Bloomington Handmade Market. This Saturday will be my third pre-Christmas event. I did their very first one when Walter was just a cute and squirmy fetus swimming around my womb. The Bloomington Handmade Market is lovely and warm and fuzzy. I enjoy it very much. I feel so at home in Bloomington, so it always feels nice to visit and especially nice to take part in a community event and pretend like I still live there underneath the shelter of their friendly trees. I'll see you soon Bloomington! Have your lattes all frothed and ready for me!

Owl Girls

Five owl girls are finished. I tried to make them extra special. It helps to keep my momentum going when I am in factory-worker-mode. Two of them are wearing felt roses. I forget what they are called exactly in the sewing world, but they are fun to make. My friend Erin taught me how. Hi Erin! I was going to make elephant girls next, but I found some pretty sweet white faux fur so I am going to make polar bear girls instead.



I wish these owl girls were real and hunted mice. I found a mouse in the house yesterday evening. I am embarrassed to say that I shrieked and ran to the couch like all the dainty girls do in the movies. I thought I was tougher than that. I used to play with snakes as a kid, and I had pet lizards. There is something about the frantic way a mouse skitters though that makes me believe that it is going to run straight up my leg. I would have no problems with the circle of life running its course, but unfortunately my dog is a horrible hunter. I have seen him obliviously walk past cats that are 2 feet away from him, and then later try to attack a lawn ornament. Plus, the cartoons tell me that cats are the ones that are interested in mice, not dogs. I am less comfortable with poison and glue traps. The glue traps especially. I read online that soaking cotton balls in peppermint oil and leaving them around the kitchen keeps them away. Apparently mice hate the smell of Christmas, so that will be my plan number 1.

Good Boys

Here are my four good boys. One of those good boys is the best boy and his name is Albert and he is my dog who thrives on being a good boy. He has very bad nerves on account of his high standards of good boy-ness he sets for himself. He is always looking at me, nervously, out of the corner of his eye and it really seems like he's judging my face and trying to figure out whether or not I approve of his behavior at any given moment. We got him from the pound and maybe he thinks we'll throw him back in if he doesn't act properly. We won't. He's practically my first born.



My second born, however, broke my wee little heart when he broke his wee little arm bone this past week. It was very sad. He was jumping on the bed while I was making it, something he has done many times before. Then, he just toppled off and landed in a very unfortunate way. I wasn't able to catch him. His poor, sad arm was swollen and so was his face from a pretty fierce crying session. Seeing the x-ray made my heart stop beating. A tiny bone, not fully formed, cracked. Something I made with love and then broke with neglect. It sounds heavy handed, but that is how it feels.

Now Walter walks around with an arm in a splint (the cast comes next week when the swelling goes down). The splint is wrapped heavily with gauze. He evokes a lot of sympathy in people he passes by. There is just something so sweet about an injured, tiny person. It's like seeing a chihuahua on a wheeled, therapeutic thingy, still soldiering on and running with the other dogs. Maybe it's because you know they endured pain which seems too adult for them, but they are still joyful little things, which makes them wise beyond their years. Regardless, I hear a lot of "Awwwwwws" as we walk by people, and then I feel cold, judging eyes on my back. My brother says that part is in my head, but even so, it hurts :(. Moving on. Walter is doing well. It's amazing how he has completely adapted to not being able to use his right arm. He just has this giant, annoying thing on there now, and he doesn't even question it. I'm sorry little man!


I'm still sewing. More owl girls are on their way. The Bloomington Handmade Market is less than a month away! Then, the following week I will be at the Indiana State Museum for their Handmade Indiana show. Go Hoosiers!

Super Girls and Tree People

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I have been working diligently over here. I have some serious goals I set for myself that look ridiculous on my chalkboard:

4 good boys
4 tree people
3 elephant girls
5 lion boys
8 simple bears with glow hearts
5 strong men
3 mammer jammers

The Super Girls make me laugh. I don't know yet what super powers they have, but I want their big hair to be involved. The red haired one maybe could have secret ray guns stored in her vertical pig tails. The afro girl? I am not sure, but ideas are welcome.

I also want to create a story for my tree people. I want them to be like dream catchers of a sort so that they can fend off nightmares and make an inviting environment for sweet dreams.

I let these ideas simmer. Sometimes they never get fully cooked.

Oh Dear!

Here are my deer dears. They are extremely shy. Their eyes get large when you approach them to say hello, then they dart out of the room to grab a spot of tea to drink in the company of rabbits.

Serious Little Men

Or maybe not so serious. But, they take themselves seriously, particularly the last one in the striped one-sie pajamas. I'd imagine him to be quite the curmudgeon (I can't believe I spelled that right on the first try), and no fun at slumber parties. He'd be the one to bring ear plugs and demand you turn off the lights and stop playing light as a feather and stiff as a board. Do they still do that, also, I don't think I have too many male readers, but did they play that game at sleepover parties too? Why can I only imagine boys playing poker and eating candy cigars at sleepovers? If you are a man reading this, thank you (and do please let me know), or I guess I could ask Joseph when he is home from work.

I know these guys are photographed horribly, but after I realized my lighting was not ideal, I was too worried Walter would awaken from his nap, so I kept the men where they were and rushed it. Now I have these grainy shots. Sorry to you, friends!

I am enjoying being my very own pink cheeks factory. Next up are deer dears. You'll see what I mean soon.

The weather here is just on the brink of Autumn. Some trees have started to catch on. I like for these days to go very slowly so that I can savor them. Yesterday, Walter and I went to the park and he began squishing mushrooms with sticks, really big mushrooms; the kind that would be in Willy Wonka's magical chocolate forest, only they would be marshmallow-y instead of mushroom-y. I initially froze in horror because I used to obey (and later, enforce) a strict "don't hurt the trees" rule at summer camp (i.e. don't mindlessly bash trees with sticks or pull their leaves as you walk by), as a way to encourage a respect of nature. But, how else are you going to learn what is inside of a mushroom? So, I decided to let it go. Then, I decided to partake in the squishing and it was sort of awesome. I think the time slows it's pace when you do things out of the norm, so I'm working on that one. An apple orchard will be soon, which I have never in my life been to. Then, on to applesauce and apple bowls, like these.