SouleMama

february vacation

We've just wrapped up a pretty fabulous February School Vacation week, if I do say so myself. When vacation was looming and all of us were still in various stages of recovery from the many kinds of funk that have been going around our family for the past month, I have to admit that I had my doubts about how this week would go. The kids said that "ALL" of their friends were traveling to warm places, and what would we do all day at home? Oh kids, I've got you. This home thing, we do it well. And we did - loads of chess and sledding and art and all those good things. And I managed to fit in a whole lot of out-of-the-house time too. Which means that there were several days of skiing, an epic cousin sleepover that we hosted, a few more friend sleepovers, a fun Nordic state championship, and gosh, so much more I can't even remember now. I even managed to squeeze in some very random but lovely sewing, which was reassuring that I still remember how to use that machine. (I know it hasn't been that long, but it sure does feel like it sometimes!) I made a horse-themed tote bag for a little friend's birthday (I told you kids, not EVERYONE is someplace warm right now!), and a pile of new potholders because the old ones were so beyond washing/repair that making a new pair seemed the wiser option than putting them back on the shelf as is. Utilitarian and gift sewing - my favorite. And there's nothing like an easy peasy log cabin to get you right in the groove. 

Last night at the dinner table, the most melancholic of my children declared "That was an awesome vacation!" Indeed, it was!

Morris & Essex {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Morris & Essex! 

Morris & Essex makes gorgeous and colorful textile and paper goods. Everything is designed in Maine by me, Eliza Jane Curtis. I work hard to use sustainable and recycled materials and ethical practices to turn my designs into durable, fun products for you to gift or keep. My work is inspired by the textures and colors I find in nature and by folk art and vintage textiles from around the world. Most items are silkscreened by hand in my studio in Cornish, Maine. Other items are created using my own original patterns and designs in collaboration with talented maker friends here in Maine and by carefully selected ethical producers in the USA and Europe.

I believe that the things we use every day are important and valuable; rather than contributing to a culture of disposable goods, I strive to produce durable, meaningful, beautiful items that last beyond the first impression and create a world filled with pattern and color. I love what I do, and I'm honored to share the joy of the process and the finished product with you.

Morris & Essex is on Instagram.

Since the last time you were featured on SouleMama, in what ways has your business grown or changed? Is there anything new you'd like to tell us about? 

In the past year, I've started creating new Infinity Scarves using recycled materials. These are one-of-a-kind pieces created with leftover pieces and misprints from my regular scarf production, hand-printed in my studio and then stitched together into a loop, by another talented fellow Maine artisan, Natasha of Mama Hen. This is my new favorite style to wear, as they are so quick and easy to throw on, and I never have to think about how to tie them or what to do with the ends! I'm also currently hard at work on a new line of limited-edition scarves using natural dyes and 100% vintage and thrifted, recycled fabrics! Over the past few years, I have been learning more about the Slow Fashion movement and trying to move my wardrobe and my work in this direction. As a designer and printmaker I love making new things, but I feel like we already have so much fabric and textile goods going to waste, so I'm thinking of this as a new design problem to solve: how to continue creating new and exciting work, using materials that already exist. I am super excited about these, bringing together new techniques, designs, and natural colors to make some new work that is exciting and fresh for me, as well as more sustainable and environmentally responsible.

This weekend, Morris & Essex is generously offering the following gift to ONE lucky SouleMama reader:

A hand-printed Infinity Scarf.

These are super-soft, one-of-a-kind scarves that mix and match patterns and colors, so your scarf will not be exactly like the ones pictured, but the winner will get to specify a preferred color range. These scarves are stitched in Maine using my soft, hand-printed bamboo fabric. Here’s a link to my full line of scarves: www.morrisessex.com.

I’m also offering a discount to all SouleMama readers, 20% off all hand-printed goods (scarves, greeting cards, tea towels, t-shirts, tote bags and zipper pouches) for this weekend. Please use code SOULEMAMA at checkout, anytime before midnight on Monday. 

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To enter today's giveaway, leave a comment below (one entry per person, please). Comments will close by 9am EST on Monday. Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly after. Comments closed. The winner is...

Your scarves are so lovely. Thank you for the generous giveaway.
Posted by: Kristen

"Valentine's Day Eve Morning"

That's what Ani said to us this morning when she woke up - "Happy Valentine's Day Eve Morning!" And so it is! It's a snow day too. Another ten inches fell overnight, and so the kiddos are all home from school. It's perfectly timed, of course, for making all those class Valentine's that we hadn't quite finished before, interrupted by breaks for sledding (and shoveling!). It's a good day. 

I hope you're having a lovely day! 

Oak Meadow {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Oak Meadow! 

Oak Meadow offers an affordable independent school experience for students in kindergarten to grade 12. Our progressive, experiential homeschooling curriculum can be used independently, or by enrolling in our accredited, teacher-supported, distance learning school.

Our curriculum is built on strong academic standards that can be adapted to meet the needs of the developing individual. The flexible format allows you to create your own rhythms for learning and to adjust lesson plans to fit your homeschooling schedule and student interest.

Visit our website to learn more and to view curriculum samples. Call 802-251-7250 to speak with one of our educational counselors or send your questions to info@oakmeadow.com. Check out our online bookstore to see all our curriculum offerings, or apply to our accredited distance school for one-to-one teacher support. You can start anytime!

• Use independently and follow our 36-week print curriculum for a comprehensive experience, or customize to meet student needs and interests.

• Enroll full time and earn an Oak Meadow diploma, or take individual courses for enrichment, credit recovery, and transferable credit.

Sign up for a free Virtual Info Session to learn more about Oak Meadow.

Visit us on Facebook and Instagram.

Since the last time you were featured on SouleMama, in what ways has your business grown or changed? Is there anything new you'd like to tell us about? 

It’s time for Oak Meadow’s annual Valentine’s Day special! From February 14 to 28, take 20% off all items in our bookstore!

This weekend, Oak Meadow is generously offering the following gift to ONE lucky SouleMama reader:

$150 gift coupon to use in the Oak Meadow Bookstore

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To enter today's giveaway, leave a comment below (one entry per person, please). Comments will close by 9am EST on Monday. Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly after. Comments closed. The winner is...

We love Oak Meadow!
Posted by: Robin

Farm & Fiber

I'm slowly emerging from the cave I've been living in since last week. It turns out that "little chest cold" I thought I had, turned into the full-on, real-deal flu. I guess yarn wasn't the only thing I brought back from NYC (I heard from several others at VKLive who came home with the same, oh boy!). I was down for the count, I can't remember being that sick in a very very long time. I tried my best to quarantine myself from the world - and my family - in hopes of keeping everyone else away from it. With lots of fire cider, and elderberry, and good rest...fingers crossed I did just that! 

But I'm emerging now, back to reality slowly but surely. Towards the end, when I started to feel a bit better, there was a good deal of knitting. And way too many entire seasons of Grace and Frankie. And then a new book (There, There by Tommy Orange). So...not all bad things, really. And then we had two days of fifty degree weather! Now that was a treat and a welcome back to reality for sure.

Assuming that healthy trajectory continues, I'm excited to be heading to Boston this weekend for the second annual Boston Farm & Fiber Festival! Taproot will once again be sponsoring the Knitting Lounge (this year, in the bigger kitchen space). If you're local, come on by to this fun, free, and open to all event at the Boston Public Market. Bring your knitting! 

new art for a new year

We're deep in the very final stretch of proofreading for our first Taproot issue of 2019, Issue 31::REVIVE! Today, I'm holed up with the laptop, some tea, a pile of cough drops and a tissue box beside me. Achoo! It seems I've caught the funk that's been making its way through the family. But never mind that (I tell myself), because I'm distracted by all the fun and goodness inside the pages.....AND on the cover of the pages! I love that we work with a different cover artist each year - it's been such a pleasure for the past seven years to do that, getting to know each one well and working together through the seasons of a year. I'm always so tickled and surprised when the artist I admire and reach out to says "Yes!" and this year was no exception. We're so happy to be working with Jenny Kiker for our six issues in 2019! You can find more of her beautiful work on Instagram as Living Pattern. Her botanical paintings have stolen my heart and each time I look at that cover, I feel such peace! Do you know the plant? It's a Calathea, often called a Prayer Plant, and look what it does in the evening! How cool is nature?

Alright, back to it. The clock is ticking on this issue! If you'd like to start your subscription with this issue, tonight at midnight is the deadline for making that happen! Bonus! We are giving a complementary calendar to all subscriptions that are made until February 1st! Find all of that info on the Taproot website.

Have a lovely day! 

sewing for sonny

Someone has all but taken over my little studio nook of late. Adelaide has been a busy bee cranking out so many goodies for her dog Sonny. Actually, she has grand plans of a little shop full of pet things she's made, but for now she's 'testing out' all of her creations and 'developing her product line' (she sure does have all the right lingo). Sonny is the happy recipient, or patient one at least. Can you believe how big he is? He's grown up so very fast, and continues to be such a love, I can hardly believe our luck. Of course, some of that is just who he is, but a lot of the really good behavior and sweet disposition is the result of his relationship with Adelaide, who continues to devote so much love and time to him and his training. She's got an agility set up in the barn these days, and I can't tell which one of them is happier while training. It's a beautiful thing to behold, and well, all the cuter with a flannel plaid neck scarf, don't you think?