trash picking season is in full swing here. I’ve found a few things, including this fantastically huge map (we live in wisconsin, if you didn’t know, so it’s not weird). I’ve had to pass by many things because with another baby on the way we just don’t have room for more stuff, even if it is free for the taking. Speaking of that little baby, he or she will be here soon–seven weeks–so I think I have to be in this space a little less and start to make room for the little one. I will still check in, probably once a week, but if I disappear you will know what I’m up to.

for more awesome trash look here.

sorry. This week just got away from me (for many reasons, but I won’t bore you with them). Kristin over at plush you wrote my blog up in a list of 15 lovely blogs. Thank you kristin! I am supposed to pass on the link love by listing 15 newly discovered blogs that I have found. And what the hell, here goes:

1. beci orpin
2. sparkle power
3. the brick house
4. violetta estacalda
5. quinn
6. on hand modern
7. sweet sweet life
8. this tiny house
9. dolls and things
10. clever girl
11. lea redmond
12. the story girl
13. misako mimoko
14. seed stitching
15. at swim two birds

whew! have a good weekend (and may some of it be spent outside and not on the computer). see you sometime next week.

I whipped up these stripey baby shoes before we left on vacation for a coworker of my husband’s.  I bought the pattern on etsy (here). The directions tried to be incredibly clear, but got a little complicated because they just went on and on. Mostly I just looked at the pictures and copied what I saw. They might be a little small–hopefully she’s a slender ankled baby girl. The plaid shoes in the pattern photo are so flippin cute I think I’ll make some just like it for the little bun in my oven.

We’ve been living it up at Grandma’s house all week, but now we’re heading deep into the woods. I’ll be back sometime next week. Thanks for all your wonderful feedback on my last post. You guys are great.

I’ve been thinking about making this pillowcase for a long while now (a lot of my posts start like that I know, but it takes me a loooong time from coming up with an idea to actually executing it).  It’s wrong in many ways: the size is off, the pocket is a little too small, there are too many pattern pieces, and for some reason my camera refused to focus on it.  But at least the idea is out of my head finally. I wanted to make a small pillowcase with a patchwork pocket–my scraps box is literally overflowing–and a little friend to go in it. I made it in linen because linen pillowcases are awesome and because little heads seem to sweat a lot more then big ones, but if I sell these, which is the plan, they would be too expensive in linen. So maybe I’ll do some simple embroidered linen ones and do the pocket pillowcases in cotton.  The pillow is about 15″ by 7″ (or something like that). I like to use these little ones for my kids. They fit nicely in a crib and my daughter, who is in a bed, likes to have a big one and a little one. Does anyone else use these? Should I not make little ones and just make the standard size? I need your insight here. Go all out and tell me what you think of this. Good or bad, it’s incredibly helpful.

I am still stuck on a name for the bag in the last post. I’m leaning towards “the finder’s keeper,” which 2 people suggested or the much simpler “the little bag.” I’m going to visit my family for 10 days, so while I’m internetless in the woods I’ll think it over. Thank you for all your suggestions: I think I might start calling my purse my “cache stash” because it’s so awesome.