The cutest carolers you ever did see
With all the darkness around us, our inner light shines ever brighter ever stronger.
Gathering us together around the home fires.
Going inward, unraveling old thoughts and re-routing
Letting the eastern dawn guide our way
Sharing our inner glow with our dearest
New paths unfold before us
New blooms unfurl
So we savor, we rest and we dream ahead.
Happy New Year, may you rest well and emerge in your own perfect way as the days grow before us.
On this quiet, calm winter’s day I am feeling so full from the holiday cheer and so grateful to be able to just rest and soak it all in.
It is the perfect day for a little story telling around the fire, don’t you think?
To inspire, I would like to introduce you to my friend Brenna and her new Blog Storymama. She has been a beckon of light to me on this journey of motherhood with her intentional ways and beautiful stories. We have been collaborating on filming her beautiful puppet shows and here is the first of hopefully many. She really has a gift for softly sharing magical tales that touch both young and old. I am sure you will enjoy her gifts as much as I do.
At mid day, the suns southern rays reach half way into the house, the furthest point the sun will touch all year.
The little woolen angel basks in the afternoons glow
The divine mother cradles her babe in warmth & love
And a family of shepherds and their flock gather together on this cold winter day.
All is calm all is bright, happy return of the sacred light.
I am not bustling in malls, standing in lines, or really buying much of anything for Christmas this year, but I am sew busy!! ( I know my titles can be a little corny, sorry, I just can’t help myself!)
I have been sewing up a storm and my latest creations have been a flurry of more up-cycled Merino PJs.
If you have not tried this, really you must!! I love those German Woolies, but with a $5 Thrifted sweater you could turn this……
Into these…..
Or take this…..
cut like this…..
And make this….
and these…..
And be lift with just a tiny pile of waste
that will no doubt be used someday soon for something soft and sweet.
And that Cherry Red Grandma cardigan
Christmas Jammys!
Oh what fun we have on cold wintery days! I may not have any money for lots of stuff, but who needs stuff when you got skills, now that is Christmas magic!!
Happy Winter magic making to you!
They finally came in the mail, I was so hoping they would come before the Waldorf Faire and they did, though I must admit, the jewelry took the spotlight that day, but I did sell a few to my lovely gardeny friends.
They are big, beautiful and very user-friendly, and frankly make me proud!!
Here is the write-up I put up on Etsy where they are for sale now and with this secret- not so secret code- Shipfree- you can get free shipping anywhere in the the US until Jan 1 2014!!
THE GARDENERS YEAR – Planning your Plantings for 2014
This Calendar is 12 months of garden goodness, designed to make planning what to do in your garden simple and easy.
As a garden educator I often get the same question from my clients and students–
“WHAT TO PLANT WHEN?”
I made this Calendar based off years of experience gardening in the High Desert of New Mexico, which is Zone 6 for gardeners in other areas.
I garden organically and learned what I know from a few local farms in New Mexico & abroad, but most of what I teach comes from my apprenticeship in Agroecology at the University of Santa Cruz, CA in 2002. Many of my techniques and tricks are inspired by French intensive gardening, permaculture and bio dynamics. This calendar especially reflects the Maria Thun & Stella Natura Biodynamic Planting Calendar in regards to following the recommendations of planting roots crops, fruits crops, leaf crops and flowers crops when the moon is traveling in correlated signs. This is only a guide, but I like the idea of not only flowing with the seen, but unseen forces of our earth and planets as well.
My calendar takes you through each month guiding you on what to plant, when and where.
I start many seeds inside as well as use cold frames and mini hoop houses for season extension and do all my gardening in the ground, all of which I provide guidance for within.
Along with what to plant when, each month includes a brief tutorial on what to be doing in the garden that month, how to make your own planting flats, how to make your own soil mix, growing tips for Carrots, Garlic, Squash and much more.
THE GARDENERS YEAR CALENDAR also includes the New Moon and Full Moon dates for 2014 as well as solstices, equinoxes and important seasonal holidays.
All the full color photography is my own from my own gardens here in Northern New Mexico.
The Calendar Measures 11.5 x 14inches and is spiral bound, making perfect not only for reading, but recording what is happening in your own garden.
This is has been a huge help to new gardeners and seasoned gardeners alike and simply helps you get the most out of your timing, which in gardening is key to productivity.
Use the coupon code- Shipfree for free shipping now till Dec 25th!!
Hope you enjoy it!!
This weekend we had a cozy day inside the Eurythmy room at the Santa Fe Waldorf School Holiday Faire selling and swapping our wares. I thank all of you who braved the weather and came out to find me & my gems & calendars. I really did feel supported by you all and meet some really great new folks too. The Waldorf Craft faire, though small, was so totally sweet & full of amazing hand-made beauty. I guarantee all us crafters have other jobs, maybe many, but that means crafting is a deep love for us, something we make time for, and it shows!! Every hand-made item in that room was so imbued with care and spirit I was drawn to almost everything! Luckily we have an amazing crafter culture here and everyone was willing to trade with me!! Here are a few of the treasures I swapped for.
My dear friend Rachel made these amazing little felt vegetables
Magdelena made these little wool sheep along with cows, alpacas and The holy family, a Christmas staple where she is from in Austria
Jane’s little clay beings are kind of a small obsession of mine, ~I hope she at every show I ever do!!
Heather’s Amazingly fragrant bees-wax candles, you just can’t get enough of this time of year
And Heather and Les’ new book & video about top bar bee keeping, so cool!
Miranda made special animal bean bags just for yesterdays show, luckily I scored a few!
And yes a little something for myself from a new friend Lee High
Hallelujah the Christmas swapping is done!! Hope my family doesn’t read this blog!!
You didn’t shop on Black Friday, good for you!! Skipped the annoying email temptations of Cyber Monday, well done!! Hope you gave something for Giving Tuesday, even if it was just a smile to a stranger…..but you may still be wanting to get a heartfelt, handmade to gift your kin. Well, this Saturday you can shop in good spirit at the Santa Fe Waldorf School Holiday Faire. It is a wonderful family event with all kinds of seasonal celebrations, activities and food and yes, faire. It is such a fun way to celebrate the season with your family and sneak off for some shopping knowing all are well.
Freshly made earrings
For those of you that don’t know, I am a jewelry designer among gardener, mother, teacher, photographer and many other things. That was how I made my living before family & baby, but now is really just one of many things I love & try to seek time for in the wee hours of the night. However, I do Holiday shows every year that are well, tremendous. With one show this year, my inventory is overflowing and truly exquisite, if I do say so myself. Selling at Santa Fe Waldorf School, also feels really good, as it benefits the school scholarships, making this amazing education accessible to a diverse community.
Chrysoprase for the heart & Rainbow Moonstone for the divine feminine,
The Faire is this Saturday, December 7th from 10-3pm. The Santa Fe Waldorf School is located at 26 Puesta del Sol, which is the first street to your left after crossing I-25 on Old Pecos Trail. The school is situated at the very end of Puesta del Sol, on your right.
Apatite to speak your truth, Aqua Marine to help you flow & Labradorite to connect you to inner magic
I will have lots & lots of Jewelry with great gift wrap, as well as my 2014 ‘The Gardeners Year’ Calendars for sale and even Hand Saved Seeds from my garden.
Come celebrate the season, visit me & support my little cottage industries. If you can’t make it (or want to do a little pre-show shopping) visit my Esty Site.
I must admit, the older I get, the more I enjoy, or enjoy again, the holidays. The glory kind of faded in my teens and twenties, when the consumerism and commercialism became so distasteful to me I simply couldn’t take it anymore. I couldn’t tolerate much of this culture then, come to think of it! A little older now and a bit less righteous, I feel myself softening into my being & the wonder of the world again. I still am deeply annoyed at what our fine country let’s pass for Holy days, but I find my own way rather than trying to change everyone else’s. Having a little creature to tend, who is not only magical himself, but completely and totally impressed with the whole world, helps the wonder seep into every moment. 
In creating our own family rituals, this season is starting to come alive again, I even look forward to it. Re-claiming is always liberating but the deeper I look, the more I see the depth, symbolism and opportunity in what these winter holidays bring. Laying things to rest, being still in the darkness, and of course bringing in light to illuminate all this darkness.
Sometimes the magic just happens, the world around turns white, sparkles so bright no one can resist the joy and delight of the season.
Other times, the ever magical world looks simply, full, overwhelming even bleak. I am learning, with my little one watching closely, that it is in those moments most of all that we must create the magic ourselves. Sledding, songs, even the simplest lighting of a candle can calm the heart and make the mundane perfectly magical. So here’s to you and yours making and witnessing the magic that is the essence of this season.
It is migration season, the birds are heading south, seeking warmer weather to regroup, gather and connect…if you know what I mean. Though I am not leaving town, I am doing the same, some sort of internal migration inwards. The tomatoes are canned, the seeds saved and now I can look beyond what is right on front of me, screaming for my attention. I see the more quiet, still sides of myself that haven’t gotten as much attention lately, my inner thoughts and processes. My bird friends are here to remind me; rise high, seek the big picture and always keep moving. Just this weekend I saw a beautiful golden eagle on a cross, a Western screech-owl on my lane as the full moon rose and a huge flock of Sandhill cranes heading south, dancing together in the sky above Ojo Caliente. The birds always lift up my vision, help raise my focus and remind me, to not lose sight of myself in the busy mix of life.
Golden Eagle on a cross overlooking Chimayo, NM
As I do this settling in, there is a simultaneous kind of taking flight. In this quiet, I have chosen to write more, in fact this post will be #100 on my blog since it’s inception 2 years ago. It has been a humble effort, sporadic and random at times, but really a great creative outlet as a stay at home mom, gardener, maker and thinker. I have reached a few folks and even gained a fan or two and just last week this little blog of mine got ‘picked up’. Have you heard of Peggy O’Mara, she was the editor and publisher of Mothering Magazine based right here in little Santa Fe for 21 years!! The very month I got pregnant Mothering published their last issue and went online to Mothering.com which Peggy founded. Luckily and friend gave me her stack of well-loved issues and I devoured them throughout my pregnancy. I still have them and hope I will read again sometime during my mothering journey. Recently Peggy started her own site called Peggy O’Mara.com which is a beautifully curated collection Family, Health and Justice articles from writers all over the country. Recently a friend (thanks Kathleen) connected us and Peggy asked me to write for her sight! It is a humble little step, but exciting to be connecting with a wider web of community. Check out her site, it is well worth the trip, and Thanks Peggy!!
Sandhill Cranes
So happy 100 posts to Seeds and Stones and a heartfelt thank you to all of you who have read my words and supported me along the way. Now that I have a moment to pause, where or where to begin with my huge pile of ideas? Who knows, but so glad to have your company along the way.
This year a dear friend told me the story of St. Martin, who is celebrated for giving his cloak to warm a cold stranger. She told it to us while we were cuddled together, children in the folds of our legs, our lanterns a glow, lighting our way through the dark stroll around her pond a few weeks ago. It was a magical evening and something she hosts every year in honor of the Martinmas festival, celebrating illuminating our inner light. 
This same friend is one who strives to see the light of each being and do what she can to bring it out, hold it up and help it glow. What a blessing it is to have friends who will light the way for you, teach you stories and songs and accompany you onto the darkest trails into the night and then guide you home. Well, that night she also told me the traditionally woolen garments were gifted on Martinmas, to prepare you for the long winter ahead and I thought it fitting to share my latest Recycled Sweater project. It was super easy and almost like alchemy the way this
turned into these
Like this: 1st I cut off the sleeves
Then I made a rough pattern for the little sleeves and cut those out.
Then I had all these parts and rearranged them into this
once I could see what I was doing, I trimmed up the shirt and re-assembled it.
Then I sewed the
sleeves together to make the pants. I was planning on making underwear pants like these..which works great when you have to be creative with too little fabric.
but this sweater was big enough I didn’t have to, so the easier the better! I just cut off the knit band and sewed it on as a waist band…And I go these snuggly little Merino PJ’s ( which cost $4.99 in materials at Salvation Army!) Nope, just can’t beat that. 
If you want to learn how to make some up-cycle magic of your own, that very same friend is teaching a class on Nov 23rd, see more here. So here’s to getting cozy and shining that inner light!
Seeds & Stones 