Greetings from the land of global warming and baby clothes! It really has been over a year that I have written here. I'm sure most of my followers have moved on assuming I fell off the face of the earth! I guess I kind of did.

I'm watching from my window, this thin little tree hold onto the last leaf. The leaf is swaying like a little cocoon. After the tornado-like winds and rain we had last night, I am amazed it is still there.

I should be making dinner. But after reading a few blogs, I felt I wanted to pop into my own and try updating it. Try using my blogging brain muscles. ouch it hurts!

This was taken on New Year's Eve. I can't believe how big my babies are and that we have another on the way! We tried for a while. After 2 miscarriages, I was ready to give up, but just felt I had to try again. Thank goddess we did and now our bundle will be here in May.

Well I hope you are all well. Spring is really right around the corner and bygosh I am putting up some Bunnies and flowers and other signs of spring around the yard,because if you can't annoy your neighbors- who can you annoy? amiright?
xoM

NEw & Exciting

December is right around the corner. Here at Hobocamp Headquarters, we have been busy little hobos trying to bring you some cute holiday goodies. I really try to think of everyone when creating a cuff and I got to great lengths to use vintage and unique fabrics. Here are a few that are either in the shop or coming in the next few days!

Vintage Hans Solo coffee cuff

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Cat not for sale, but isn't Jasper just adorable?

Eggs & Bacon skull & crossbones

Handmade/ Sewing with Love flannel coffee cuff

This is an example of what I am making for the shop soon. This one is for our home, but I have started making similar ones to sell.

I love how it came out!

A Hobo's Dream Catcher is made from favorite new & old fabrics, a delicate vintage doiley in the center. One of a kind.

It hangs by the children's table & our fireplace. But not close enough that it would be a hazard! We also haven't been using the fireplace the last few years.

I love mixing fabrics you would not expect. The stars w/ mushrooms for a different kind of holiday cuff.

A favorite kind of fabric, mushrooms of course!

Right now we are offering a free gift with purchase in our shop, Hobocamp Crafts. Just leave a comment on the blog, visit our shop  for your holiday gift giving and then use the code, "Holiday" for your free gift. It is easy peasy!

The craziness that was right before school starting. A switch out of clothing- but it wasn't a total switch out- because oh yeah it's like 90 degrees in New York! Oh pre-autumn you are a fickle mistress. So I worked on organizing both of their closets- they share a room. On the top pole are clothes they will move into next year. ( I know that sounds crazy?!) So for Hazel they are 6&7 Guth is size 4. The bottom pole is current for Hazel. She can reach it and pull what she wants when she needs to. Underneath are two small plastic dressers- that are mostly empty- except for a drawer with their fall/winter pajamas. So- using those remaining drawers in a smart way is crucial- because we don't have a lot of closet space in there. The second closet has a high pole with Guthrie's fall/winter clothing. The dressers (also 2) have bed/crib linens and deep storage. Dance shoes that do not yet fit and some VHS tapes we pulled out of rotation for the moment. Under the crib has 2containers from Ikea full of mostly their real summery clothes. Under Hazel's bed there are 2 more bins with the same. I know that isn't very feng shui of us- but sometimes we must forego such things.

For now this is working. I also pulled most of Hazel's summery dresses and "school ready" clothing and hung it on the 3 big hooks. That way we have her options and we just need to pinpoint. She is usually easy going with her clothes for the most part.

Next time I will share some photos with the sunlight shining.
M

Simple Hand Sewing Happiness

As a young woman, growing up in the 80's I'm pretty sure my style was solidified by watching inappropriate episodes of The Golden Girls and Murder She Wrote. Once I was a teenager and I realized I didn't want to be a cookie cutter person, I started at thrift stores and loved it. My style was always granny chic... even now I love a good granny square ANYTHING. So when I learned how to make yo-yos I felt like I was reconnected to a slower- more easy paced time. Hand crafts ahhh. Sewing by hand... ahhh. Let me tell you
I L O V E to H A N D  S E W.

Here are some of the newish things in my shop or about to head there.

www.hobocampcrafts.etsy.com

A few of my yo-yo recycled sweets! I wish these shirts fit me... because I would NOT be selling these babies! But alas they do not and I offer them to you my favorite people!

August, already? Reallly?!

Where Ya Been?

Wow, the months just fly by. This month we celebrated our little Hazel's graduation from preschool- yeah! She missed the cutoff in NY by hours... so once we realized that, she had 3 years of preschool under her belt and is super-ready for school in the fall! She also celebrated her second dance recital. This year the song was Uptown Girl. Their outfits were reminiscent of Fancy Nancy, which I have sort of told H should be her Halloween costume this year. See how that works? Expensive dance costume worn once turns into upcoming Halloween costume! Voila!



In other parts of the world- like my small crafty world- we have some new stuff up in our shop.

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This orange ghost named Clyde came to us by way of some very vintage buttons and my husband Zach's love of '80s pop culture. He  painstakingly sews on every single button to create a one-of-a-kind bag. We take custom orders, too!

 

To cover every price point in our shop I've been making these sweet little packs of fancy hair ties and headbands. They start at $3.50. We love them! I wear them like bracelets with my regular silver bracelets and even coordinate them with what I am wearing (sometimes). Now that my hair is long enough, they are a huge help without the literal headache. Regular ties were always too tight and I could feel my head paying for it!

This little chalkboard girl needs a good home. She's in our shop too!

Some Marie Antoinette Hair ties. Because we all know that she totally would rock these now with her huge hair.

Then finally a little summery item for mamas & their babes. Matching totes! Perfect for the beach, library or toting lunch. They are super lightweight and can roll up into one another or into another bag. Check them out.

The summer always creates new memories. Guthrie is learning to do and say everything. Hazel is 5 1/2 going on 15, and full of energy. We have about 11 tomato plants in 3 different varieties, 5 basil plants and we're growing about 4 or 5 types of pumpkins. I say  "about" because last year was a fluke. We smashed some small boo (white) pumpkins and some jacks and got some white ones a little bigger and some pale, pale peach ones. This year we planted pie pumpkins, too. Finally some cilantro, peppermint ( which will take over your life and your garden) as well as some winter thyme and sunflowers! I love to be out there pulling weeds and rearranging, but I hate bugs, especially spiders and mosquitoes. Oh well, such is summer.

Hope you are enjoying your beginning of summer, too!

Wake Up April!
Yes, I said I was going to write more often, I'm sorry- I didn't mean to lie. Most days (usually while in my car) I dream of the beautiful posts that I am going to write- then something always seems to pop up!
I know spring is here- because I start craving ice-cold thingies to drink. I bought a big bag of ice to keep in the big freezer to have at the ready. We have straws- I have a new water bottle by lifefactory, that I completely love. From the color- to durability  (with 2 kids you know that thing has fallen on the floor!) I am really happy with the choice.
I just got out of the library Fifteen Minutes Outside By Rebecca Cohen- although I am just a few pages in, I knew I would enjoy the idea and theory behind it. I read a lot of non fiction, but I don't always get to read fiction. Lately, I have been keeping a novel nearby stashed in the bathroom at the ready for bath time for me or the kids. Here is the list of what I have read in the last few months (keep in mind I am a very slow reader). I started with Anne Tyler's  Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant- which was amazing. Next, was Alice Hoffman's Skylight Confessions- holy geesh- this was just such a beautifully written book- I think I fell in love with every character! This was my first Hoffman book- although I was first attracted to Practical Magic- because of the magic element- I haven't read the book because I saw the movie and haven't gotten past that. This is a book I wish they had a movie for because it was something I couldn't wait for more. Lastly, I finished Mrs. Poe by Lynn Cullen. I love Edgar Allan Poe. To read a book about his possible intimate life with his wife/family was very interesting- granted it is historical fiction, I enjoyed the idea of it. I also liked reading about life in NYC during the 1840's.
So there are a few book ideas for your spring endeavors~

Leaving you with Hazel's portrait of the Lorax. His eyes and mustache are just what nails it for me- she amazes me with her skills.

spring and other things

My birthday came in on the wings of spring. We spent last weekend with family enjoying the warmer weather. Today I am going to our library for a gardening talk. I've been working a small bed for 2 years and containers- yet I still like going to a free gardening talk- what can it hurt? I'd love for us to be able to grow many things in our oddly-shaped little yard. I have dreams of many beds and chickens roaming between the children. Then there is all the wonderful sewing I'd like to be doing whilst all this is going on. We have a porch- although we debate turning it into a master bedroom. Oh the dreams you can dream!

In the shop I added a set of four little egg/Liberty of London (vintage) cloth napkins. This photo doesn't show the sweet egg fabric on the reverse side- but very cute and matching pretty well. Today is another wet,foggy day- but a day needed for all those spring flowers to wake up! Well Zach left me alone with NPR and a cup of tea- I should try to make some noise with my sewing machine. Have a wonderful weekend!
xoM