white apples . a blog

summer travels

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week.

*** *** ***

inspired by Amanda Soule. join in on her blog.

pinafores and baby dolls

I just came across these photos of my little elfin girl from back in May. She was picking lavender and dancing around in the driveway (princess dancing, of course). Now she is two months older. And so much older. I don't know why she's wearing a wool hat in May, but chances are, if she's wearing a hat, he'll have one as well.

I love pinafore-style dresses and tops. This one is the Sandpiper Top by Clever Charlotte (fabric from the Feather n Stitch collection by Sarah Watts). I also made a baby set a while ago using the Mayah Reversible Pinafore pattern by Sew Sweet Patterns. Pinafores for everyone!

I haven't done a wonderful job taking photos of all my recent handmades, but I couldn't resist snapping these of Juni snuggling the dolls I made for some new little babies that joined us this spring. Her pretty felted crown was made by her teacher for her special "half-birthday" celebration at school (since she wasn't enrolled in school yet on her actual birthday).

the long days

Somehow, I blinked and Summer arrived. I never know what to do with Summer. I always think our days will move at a slower, lazier pace, but then there are trips and parties and summer camps and grants to write and yet another case of pneumonia (me). The days, of course, have been hot, unbearably impossibly hot. But the nights have been filled with fireflies and clear moonlight and Juni tells me that all that "fairy magic" keeps us safe while we sleep (safe from pigs and dinosaurs, that is).

The garden, which was happily chugging along all Spring, has exploded into the desperate, wild growth of Summer - tall, tall tomato plants, peppers popping up all over the place, monstrous zucchini, things bolting and seeding everywhere, true photosynthetic chaos in the face of my nonexistent gardening skills. Between the vegetable garden and the peach tree, the deer, squirrels, and rabbits are never bored around here. And between the dirt and the animals, neither are the kids.

Owen is happy to spend the afternoons mowing the grass or playing T-ball or looking for worms in the garden. Juniper has been riding her bike and watering the flowers and swiming in the pool every evening, all the while loudly lamenting the fact that school is closed. I've been working and agonizing over work decisions and knitting Winter sweaters in 100 degree heat and wondering when exactly my babies got so big.