I’m nursing a pretty brutal cold that seems to be going around (and around and around), so I’m doing some quiet crocheting while the baby naps. I started this project for Erin’s pillow week, but even though I was (and still am) very excited about the idea I got bored with the actual making of it.  I may be getting ahead of myself–seeing as I’m not even done yet–but I’d like to make up a pattern for the pillow. But again, I have to finish first and then felt it and then see if it even turns out and probably test it again. So don’t hold your breath.

1. linen snowflake (ravelry link) 2. acorn shrug (login required, here’s a finished project) 3. jam jar cozies 4. granny basket

These patterns, on the other hand, are finished and free for the taking. They are all crochet and all dead easy. It seems I only start crocheting in earnest when the weather turns cold (last year I went crochet crazy) and today it feels a little like winter outside. Anyway I think all these projects would make pretty gifts (to yourself even) and would quickly satisfy the need to work with yarn. It becomes strangely addictive that yarn.

I know I talked up my advent calendar the other day–which I have to dig out of the basement this weekend–but I rediscovered Sarah’s very simple and infinitely adaptable blank advent calendar she so posted a few years ago. I think I may make a photo version for the grandmas.  Not that I don’t have a thousand other things to do! I’m working on some handmade ornament tutorials and patterns for next week. There will be 4 for sure and maybe if I kick this cold 5! So stay tuned and have a happy thanksgiving!

I’m starting mine: cookies, cards, menus, gifts. I plan on making (and doing) much less this year than I have in the past, but somehow my lists are long anyway. There are always so many new cookies I want to make:

• I’ve always wanted to try these christmas rainbow cookies.
• these pistachio sandwich cookies look like a royal pain in the ass to make, but they also look freakin delicious.
• I think super crispy gingerbread men sandwiched together with chocolate ganache would be good, do you think?
• alfajores are definitely on the list this year (looks like sandwich cookies are the theme this year)
• I’ve never made lebekuchen, but I do love it.
• these mexican hot chocolate cookies look simple and really good.
• I could go on and on

Martha somehow roped me in to buying another one of her christmas cookies magazines. And now the list is even longer and it might even have “make cookies that look like little mice” on it. Shesh. This is sort of why I shy away from making lists–I know there are so many of you out there that love them.  Mine start out small (laundry, post office) and then quickly get grandiose and undoable (paint the house, rip out kitchen counter). And then when only a few things get crossed off the list I feel awful and lazy and guilty (and, oddly, like the list is watching me).

Enough of my guilt ridden midwesterness. I thought I’d share a few simple ideas from the archives for the holidays. The picture is from a few years ago when I realized I didn’t have any thanksgiving decorations, so I slapped together this project. Two years later I still don’t have any thanksgiving decorations and clementines on the mantel have become a little tradition.

English toffee is always the first christmasy thing I make every year: it freezes well and travel well and little nibbles sustain me through the season. You can find my recipe and tutorial here.

There is time to sew up this advent calendar before December 1st. Really, there is. I think it looks more complicated than it is: there is some simple machine sewing and then a movies worth of hand sewing.  The pattern and tutorial for the string of lights advent calendar is right here. We had an activity in each bulb last year and the kids and I loved it. I put the slip of paper in the night before, so a big project didn’t sneak up on me and because I’m last minute like that.

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And hey! you guys are awesome! Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to fill out my silly little survey. It was super helpful and makes me want to create more surveys so I can get to know you better. The consensus seemed to be you like the little blog just how it is, but wouldn’t mind if I change it up a bit: ads are ok, a recipe or two (if they are good), and more kid’s crafts, food, tutorials, and sewing!  Thanks to the commenter who said, “no pressure or anything!”  And thank you, everyone, for all the kind words. It was unexpected and so incredibly wonderful.

Having a blog is sort of ridiculous. It starts off as a little place to show off the lovely things we’ve made for ourselves, but becomes a demanding little blog you have to make things for. I enjoy making things for the pleasure of it, but I also love making things–tutorials and patterns–that I think you will like.  I need to define a bit more what I’d like elsie marley to be and I need your help with that. I’m slowly (and with much help) redesigning this little blog and I’d love to know what you think of it, where you think it should go, and what you would like to see more of here.

If you have a minute I would love it if you could answer a little survey for me. It is 7 questions that will help me know you a teeny bit better (hello lurkers out there) and know where you think the blog should go. It is such a pleasure to have lovely readers like you!  Without you I would be sitting here talking to myself and that would be silly, because you are much more interesting to talk to.

Click here to take survey

The photos are two pictures I put up on my tumblr a little while back and I cannot. stop. looking at them.  Click on the pictures for the source.

I’m not sure if I like this pillow or not. It’s definitely the goofiest one yet and the most labor intensive–if you can call making pompoms labor.  The first time I made pompoms I thought it was messy and ridiculous and a pain in the butt, but this time the more I made the more I enjoyed the process. If you slap the words “as meditation” after any activity it immediately becomes less annoying and oddly spiritual: pompom making as meditation, washing dishes as meditation, folding laundry as meditation, (look! my whole day is one long zen retreat).

I’ve been dreaming about all the christmas decorations I can make with pompoms (while I was mediating), so there will be more here I’m sure. If you don’t know how to make them, or forgot, there is a nice little tutorial on bella dia for making pompoms with your fingers.

And hey, look at all the awesome pillows from pillow week on flickr. I’m in love with this one.

Towards the end of fall each year we close up the porch and try to fit all the play that happens out there inside.  Mostly it’s art. We have a big armoire filled with paints and markers and paper and glue and acorns and cottons balls and whatever else could be used to make pictures or sculptures or collages. It’s lovely to have a space where the two big kids can go whenever they have a need to make something, but where the crayon eating baby cannot.

Our house is about 900 square feet, so finding room for anything can be difficult, but art is very important to my kids (and me!) so we have to carve out space every last crayon. Last year I came up with the art box. It’s a wooden wine crate I trash picked filled with art supplies that I store in our closet/office and take down whenever the kids ask.  They can work on the dining room table (conveniently covered in chalkboard cloth) away from curious baby hands. Last year one box was enough, but over the summer it seems the materials we work with has grown.

After much rearranging, the art box has become the art shelf. Everything is organized into wooden boxes and labeled with chalk.  I can take out one thing or everything and the kids can put it all away before I put it back in the closet. I’m planning to swap out things as the year goes on. Do you have any suggestions? Is there any good or unusual art material your kids are into?

On the bottom of the box some awesome kid scrawled in big letters KISS! Alive! and it makes me happy everytime I see it as I take the art box down.  And makes me want to get out my old Kiss tapes.