Love, Laughter, and Life

Adventures With a Book Lover

Tag Archives: Homemade


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Book Share: A Gift for Nai Nai by Kim-Hoa Ung

A Gift for Nai Nai

Written and illustrated by Kim-Hoa Ung

Feiwel and Friends, 2023

This adorable (and on a scale of adorable, it’s a 12) picture book is a delight to read. With much thanks to Jena Benton and Kim-Hoa Ung, I was gifted a copy of A Gift for Nai Nai. Thank you!

The beautiful illustrations pulled me in, and the special relationship between the little girl and her Nai Nai – which, thanks to the short glossary, I now know means paternal grandmother – added heart and love.

This picture book reminded me of my own mother who loved to crochet. She spent hours, days, and weeks creating gifts and clothing not just for her own family, but so many others in her circle of family and friends. I read this book with a large dose of nostalgia.

I enjoyed not only the crochet connection, but also seeing through the illustrations that Nai Nai uses a wheelchair to get around. My mother-in-law was limited to a wheelchair after breaking her hip. Despite losing some of her mobility, Nai Nai continues to create a beautifully crocheted hat she gives to Lyn Lyn each year. Framed photos on the wall showcase a few of the fun hats.

Nai Nai has a birthday coming up, so Lyn Lyn decides she wants to learn to crochet. The struggle is very real (my own mother tried to teach me to crochet). With an AWW-some ending, A Gift for Nai Nai is a satisfying and warm-hearted read.

I had to share the “undie” from A Gift for Nai Nai. An undie is the cover beneath the paper book jacket. Sometimes illustrators create new scenes on the undies, just like Kim-Hoa Ung did for this picture book. Love it!

Plus! Kim-Hoa Ung included directions for making a simple crocheted hat similar to the one Lyn Lyn made for Nai Nai. This picture book is colorful, engaging, and filled with all the coziness of a warm fire on a snowy day.

This pink Easter egg ducky is a gift my mother crocheted for me many years ago. The egg is resting on blanket squares I crocheted (cough cough) several years ago. They wait for me to connect them. This is about the limit of my crocheting abilities.


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3 Airplane Rides and 12 Birthday Cards

My weekend was not spent doing what I wanted (and had planned to do for oh so many hours). Winter Storm Cora derailed (de-planed?) my travel plans and flights to attend a wonderful weekend of friends, missions, connecting, sharing, and encouraging. Many of us were turned back and unable to attend.

But on the bright side, I flew to San Francisco for breakfast at the airport. Continued on to Denver for a late lunch/early dinner, and then (after flight cancellations), made it home the same day! Just a leisurely tour of three airports and planes. If you add in Pasco, WA, and look at a map, you will see I made a pretty neat triangle of adventure with my airplane rides. The picture above shows the Golden Gate Bridge as we flew over San Francisco heading to the airport.

Come Saturday, when I was home missing the comradery, I decided I needed to do something fun and change my attitude. What better way for me to cheer up than making brightly colored birthday cards? Several bonuses here: I used up washi tape, created with some brightly colored cardstock that for some reason I have a hard time using, discovered that embossing anything was off the table (the 20+ years-old embossing pads were toast), and came up with a dozen new birthday cards!

One dozen rubber stamped cards is a great way to kick off a year in which I hope to create many more cards to add to my stash.

What about you? When have your plans been changed by circumstances beyond your control? What did you do to change your attitude?


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History of the Garden Arbor

It’s fun to go back and look at pictures to see how things have changed over time. Our garden area is constantly changing.

The garden started with three simple garden beds placed in the pasture, which used to be mostly dirt and weeds. As you can see, it was already looking good with “greens” growing.

Frequent feathered guests foraged in the pasture and wide-open garden beds. Which transitioned into even more visitors, of the furry and voracious garden eating variety. The chickens were fine with me, but when bunnies ate down all of my plants, something had to be done.

My honey put a low fence around the whole lot. The main purpose was to keep the bunnies out. It worked great! Actually, the fence is so short, most of us can easily step over it. But the bunnies were befuddled and my plants could grow free.

And then. I found one of those old metal chain-link fence gates while visiting my buddy in Seattle. One of those “free yard sale” treasures! Guaranteed to make my honey whisk his eyebrows up when I drove into the yard with my little Mazda packed to the gills. Gate included. So, we added an easy access gate. By we, I mean him. 😉

And then. I really wanted an arbor. Over that awesome gate. We had this other piece of metal junk hanging in our shaded car park area. Just an old rusted metal grate of some sort. I think it was left on the property from the previous owner. And ta-dah! Instant unique arbor! Instant for me. A bit of hard work for my honey and Taylor.

I might add how HEAVY that thing is! And I am blessed to have 2 strong guys to let me come up these wild ideas and they make it happen. Oh, and it’s rusty. One of my favorite garden colors and textures.

My honey bought me a honeysuckle plant for Mother’s Day. You can see it above just starting out. Below, you can see I’ve been working on training it up. It’s nearly reached the top!

And here we are today. I just took this picture. It smells so good! Last week I stood and watched a hummingbird feast on the fragrant blooms, for so long that I wandered off before it did. That is my kind of garden.

Ahhhh. The garden continues to grow and change.

What about you? Any big changes in your garden or yard over the years? Any cool rusty items??


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Free Yard Sales, Wood Scraps, and Homemade Table (Kevin’s Woodshop)

Welcome to another issue of Kevin’s Woodshop. In today’s story, we will hear how free yard sales, repurposed wood, and a little elbow grease contributed to this lovely weathered outdoor dining area.

FREE YARD SALES

Recently I visited “free yard sales” with my friend and fellow thrifter, Alyson. We love the thrill of the hunt. Free is an awesome word! My prize for the day is pictured above. Four solid metal framed wood outdoor chairs. Friends, that is what we call a SCORE. At this point in the “free yard saling,” I was cut off. No more stuff. Well. We only had her small car. Tetris in the car is the name of the game. And the limit to the thrifting.

I was so excited to haul these babies home. One of my favorite sights when I pull in the driveway after being away is to watch my honey’s face. My car is small, a Mazda four-door. BUT it works big! Like a truck. I call it my truck. I can get huge items in my little white truck. But not a gun safe. That is a hard limit. That’s a different story, but we did try.

I follow my husband’s eyes as I back around so we can unload my haul. Heh-heh. It’s almost more fun than scoring the “treasure” from yard sales or thrift shops.

He shakes his head. In wonder, I’m sure, amazed at how thrifty I am.

And proceeds to help me figure out how to reverse the process of filling my little “truck” with stuff. What. A. Guy.

REPURPOSED WOOD

We’ve been weathering our deck wood for a few years, always considering when it would be done to our satisfaction and what project required the updating of the deck so we could use the old wood.

Ta-dah! A taller patio table was needed to match the lovely free yard sale chairs. Time to rip off the deck wood.

Perfectly aged to that gray beachy tone. Some people work in clay, watercolor, textiles. My honey works in wood scraps. The older the better. The wood imperfections create challenges, sure, but the results are unique and wonderful.

HOMEMADE TABLE

Woodworker Kev got right to it. As I mentioned, aged wood often requires ingenuity and rethinking. That was certainly true with this table project. Some pieces were warped, so the framing had to be redone. He is so good though. Just look at that beautiful table! My style for sure.

Now we can dine al fresco (as long as the weather holds). Though we have to first wipe off the sunflower shells and debris from our guest goldfinches, sparrows, and red-winged blackbirds. After that, it’s sit and chill time. Ahhhh.

And so concludes another issue of Kevin’s Woodshop. Readers, do you enjoy old wood? Free yard sales? Thrifting? Dining al fresco?

Do tell.


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Homemade Tables Using Wood Scraps

My honey LOVES using up scrap wood to make garden tables. Mostly for me. 🙂 But he has gifted them to others.

Here are two of the newest projects. The small table used 2 slates from an old outdoor table and wood scraps from other projects. We always use the tables he makes outside and let them weather naturally. But this baby is inside Huckleberry Hutch, sitting perfectly beside my reading chair. Already topped with books. I might have to sneak it out sometimes to get some weathering going on.

Monet approves of this table. Actually, she approves of both tables.

The second table is also composed of wood scraps. It is solid! I love the long length and the design. This will stay outside where the elements will weather it to a lovely gray. We are using this one on the patio just outside the abode. Perfect!

I love the new additions to my Huckleberry and garden. Save those wood scraps and you can make awesome creations as well! Thanks, my love.


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Now what?

I have these great ideas, inspirations, kernels of dreams. If possible, I jump on them right then, or at least scribble down a note to remind me of the idea so I can (hopefully) look back later and recapture what I was thinking.

Like the beginning of this card idea I started on my carefully rinsed and dried teabag. The sepia tone is perfect for making a card. The leaves pop off the teabag. I love how it looks. But now what? What should I do next? How can I amplify the idea into something beautiful? I am currently stumped on this project, so it sits on the table, waiting.

It’s like that in the picture book world too. I have (what I think is) a great idea, an inspiration, a kernel of a story. A brilliant idea. I jot it down. My mind plays with it, seeking a path to follow, wandering from this to that. My ideas often come to me as a title, a play on words, an interesting character, or a wishful suggestion of a setting or event. And then what? What should I do next? I have file folders and notebooks full of ideas. Waiting.

The creative struggle is real. It’s time consuming. It’s messy. Just ask my honey. But should I let the challenges stop me? When I hit that block-that wall-should I stop? No. Maybe I need to see the wall as the opportunity to take a deep breath, let my mind wander, do something else. Perhaps the wall is just a good resting spot to dream, pray, and let the “now what?” follow its course.


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Rubber Stamping Christmas Cards Fun

I LOVE rubber stamping. This year was short on time to create, due to so many things. As December approached, I realized I needed to supplement my stash of Christmas cards. So, I dug out the embossing powder and hot gun (because I haven’t used them for quite some time, and I had IDEAS), some favorite (and a few new) rubber stamps, washi tape, colored pencils, and decorative papers.

Fun, fun, fun for me! Living in an RV, space is at a premium. I began by allowing myself just a few craft items to play with in the evening. Embossing pad, powder, and hot gun. Then next evening, OH, I need the cardstock, fun paper, and paper cutter.

After that, OH, I keep forgetting the washi tape and glitter tape. Don’t forget the colored pencils. And yes, a few more stamps to add sentiments inside and to the back of the cards. And that bag of paper scraps would be perfect to add to some of the cards!

LOL. By the end of the week, I had a bunch of new cards, but also several trips of supplies that needed to be returned to the Huckleberry Hutch and put away.

But it was worth it. Fun cards! Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

What craft do you LOVE to do? Especially during the holidays?


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Rubber Stamping Fun in Seattle

Total card count: 83

23 recycled cards. Yes, I do recycle cards people give back to me! It’s like greeting and hanging out with old friends.

1 towel tag card (see cat wearing a chef’s hat). ANYTHING can be an inspiration and become a greeting card.

15 cards for my celebrant/funeral home working honey.

I was loving the bears! Happy birthday cards and bear hug cards. Two thumbs up.

Also. Loved my trucks. And the trees. And the time I spent with my stamping buddy (waves, Hi, Alyson!) and her helpful kitties. Scroll to the bottom to meet our feline assistants.

Played with some new stamps.

Revisited the bears. And mushrooms. And trees.

Tried a monochromatic card for my honey. Alyson had the perfect stamps for this idea. Shared resources doubles (or triples) the fun, creativity, and card count.

Thanks for our stamping sleepover, Alyson, Daisy, Honey, and Jubilee! I keep finding kitty fur, though that could also be from my kitty, Monet.

What is one hobby you enjoy? How long have you been doing it? Maybe it’s a hobby I might enjoy!

Top left: Daisy giving me the buff-off after snuggling all night!

Top middle and right: Jubilee giving me the eye AND demanding attention and cessation of stamping for cuddles.

Bottom: Honey minding her own business and having a cat nap. Until I took her picture.


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Tic-Tac-Toe in the Garden

Tic-tac-toe in the garden! The wood chunk topped by an unfinished wood circle is complete and ready for play. The battle is on!

I came home one day to see that my honey had added a table top to the gorgeous log I’ve been hoarding. Yes, cool wood logs are hoard-worthy. 🙂 Thanks to some good friends who shared their haul, I’ve been hanging on to several for just the right project (besides being used as extra seats).

I showed my honey the size and placement of the tic-tac-toe board I was imagining, and off he went to wood burn the game board. Once the top was burned in, play immediately commenced, though the rocks wear not yet ready. My creative grands figured out a plan though, smooth stones versus pointy stones (river rocks and gravel). Perfect!

But Nana just had to have painted river rocks for playing pieces…

A pleasant side benefit is that the tic-tac-toe table also works as a garden table, just right for reading books and eating snacks.

I used mineral oil on top of the unfinished wood, to add just a bit of weather protection. I’m still not sure if I will add more, perhaps wood wax. But I love the mix of bark and unstained wood.

And surprise, as I was oiling the wood, I discovered a praying mantis egg mass on the bark! This table is all around good for the garden!

Ready for the next garden project. Any ideas? What’s in your garden?


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Rubber Stamping Requires Assistants

Many of you know I love stamping. For those who are not familiar with the term “stamping,” stamping = making rubber stamped cards using (but not limited to) rubber stamps, ink pads, decorative paper, fancy tapes, cardstock, and bits and bobs of fascinating leftover craft supplies.

Pip has decided it is time he helped make cards. You will notice the excellent placement of his body right in the center of my work pad. This of course is very helpful and what is expected of a good assistant.

One of my college roommates (waves at Alyson) and I have been getting together for decades. Yes, I guess I can say at least decades. We are a bit fuzzy on exactly when the rubber stamping bug caught us, but it has been around for a long time.

Spring break is usually one of the times we get together to stamp. We missed out on many of our usual stamping retreats last year (and we all know why). So this spring break was extra special because it had been sooooo long since we really stamped.

Pip is not moving, and is quite unhappy about sharing the limelight with his cat-mom, Alyson. I think he might be giving her the subliminal brush off, or at least the “talk to my back” posture.

The assistants were unusually helpful this year.

Daisy did not help as much this year at the rubber stamping table. She was however, an excellent neck and face warmer. Early morning wake-up calls required much purring, loving, and fur up my nostrils. Barely room to squeeze the phone between my chin and her face, but we managed. As far as bed warmers, Daisy is quite a wonderful assistant, always up for good lap snuggles or sleeping on top of me.
How long can one cat be? Notice the helpful tail, which is used to swish items off the table or capture different open ink pads for a “painted cat” look.
A ribbon! MY ribbon…

So. My spring break was fun, entertaining, and productive. How about you? Did you do anything different this spring break? Do you have special assistants for those fun projects?