ok…secret santa.  a well-meaning week of little anonymous gifts mysteriously bestowed culminating in a giver guess.  personally, i think the fun exchanges are the ones where you just give the silliest things you have laying around…but what it usually becomes is a cheesy mug for someone at work who oddly was able to drink their coffee just fine the day before. no one gets anything they want and money is spent on useless junk.  k- i really don't like wastefulness, useless stuff, or meaningless spending.

so…here are what (to me) sound like some fun switch-ups.  the groups are just for example.

-for a friends group --how about everyone making a "my favorite playlist- including one guilty pleasure song"…and picking them out of a hat.  each person has to guess whose playlist they got.  gift:  laughs and some new music to try.

-for an office --everyone emails a favorite festive recipe to one organizer.  the list gets divided up and each person receives a recipe or everyone gets the whole list and has to guess which recipe is whose.  then on party day, everyone makes their recipe and shares!   gift:  lots of yummy recipes and the chance to try them.

-for adult family members --each person makes a "my top books of this year" list and they get pulled out of a hat.  each person guesses whose list they got.  this could be fun with the kids too, i doubt they'd like to be left out.  gift:  new book list to look for at the library.  each person could email their list and you'd have a complete list of everyones choices.  you could even make this into a book exchange where everyone brings books they don't want anymore- or just one they liked- and exchange or lay them out for everyone to "shop".  

i like that each of these ideas costs nothing, promotes community, provides a party activity and results in good gifts!  there is no waste or mistake gift.  

i also think these ideas are great to add to a christmas card- a little bonus gift- no extra postage required!  

just celebrate friendship the best that you can!

love, 
jane

it's american thanksgiving today and we want to wish you a happy one!  i also want to thank you for visiting this little space.  it seems like someone is listening.  i'd love it, if you would ever feel comfortable saying hello.  it would be really exciting to have some conversation in this space.  we are grateful for our tiny tribe and for our little bit bigger tribe that includes you!  

in gratitude, 
jane + jo + julia

julia:  these pouches make really cute and simple gifts. they are very handy and can hold all kinds of things.  you can make them in lots of different shapes and sizes. here are a few ideas for pouches. you could knit, sew, or crochet them in a square or rectangle shape. for decoration, you could stitch patterns on pouches made of fabric, put bows on them, or sew a patch on one. for closing the pouches, you could sew ribbons to tie around the pouch (there are many different  ways to do it), or use a zipper, button, or snap. i hope you are inspired.

jane:  we have made many pouches, because we love to use them and give them as gifts.  we use them to hold our cameras, change, iPods, and as wallets and pencil cases.  we've given them as gifts to friends, family members and teachers.  as gifts, we like to fill them with gift cards, favorite lip balm, candy, handmade card, tiny lotion, pens and tiny notebook, or whatever we can think of that the recipient likes. 

jane:  some instructions:
-knit or crochet pouch--  knit or crochet a rectangle that folds in half to your desired dimensions.  stitch up the sides.  get a zipper a little longer than your opening and hand stitch it in place with thread.  i like to add a lightweight fabric lining by hand.  a lining completely covers the zipper on the inside, and gives it a lovely finish.

-fabric pouches--  here's a tutorial for zippered pouches.  the tied pouches are just simply made up.    the yellow pouch above comes from this pattern.  

i've given sewing lessons with a pouch as one project, since they are simple and teach many different skills.  the red one below was done as a sewing lesson.  a child can sew a pouch, but if you are looking for other options have them:
-carve a special stamp to stamp onto fabric you use to sew a pouch... or onto a purchased pouch
-embroidery stitch onto a pouch 
-make a special patch to sew on one you have made or purchased

you can see from our collection that we love pouches.  hope you do too! 

love, 
julia + jane

hello!
so there are some of us that really adore the succulent craze and would love to jump onboard... however, there might be a bit of stress over not wanting to kill something so beautiful! (honestly, succulents are super easy, don't worry!) here's a really easy alternative that anyone can whip up quickly: crocheted cacti! :)

i had remembered seeing a photo of something similar, so i decided that i needed to recreate it for gifts. the pattern is super simple...
all you need is some mid weight (not too chunky, not thin!) green yarn, the correct hook, a yarn needle, and stuffing! if you would like to add a flower, use some yarn or embroidery floss in the color that you would like and the correct hook (in the case of embroidery floss, go with a tiny hook that is still big enough to see). you might also want a cute little pot to keep your cactus in!
chain stitch the length that you would like your cactus to be tall. add a little bit to compensate for the drawn in top. 
now just crochet through the back loop only until your rectangle is the appropriate width. i like to hold the long ends together and slide it into my pot to see if it fits nice and snuggly (as that made no sense, place it into the pot like in the photos).
when you feel that it will be the correct size, feed the long piece of yarn through the loop and pull it tight. nice rectangle, huh? 
next we're going to make it into a cylinder. with your long piece of yarn and a yarn needle, weave it in and out along the top of your rectangle (not the side you chain stitched and crocheted; along the top instead). use large stitches and when you reach the end, pull it really tight so that the top is all gathered together.
i hope you still have yarn to your long piece! hold the gaping side together (this part is the row you chained and your last row) and sew it up. stuff your cactus, give it a home, and never water it ever!
i used this pattern for the flower. it looks complicated, but if you just follow every step it is foolproof.

these cacti are the cutest and most black thumb friendly! it will always be your plant friend since it can never die! 
please comment any questions if anything is unclear! happy cacti making!
xxx
jo

jo:  cowls are suuuuch a cute/cozy/easypeasy gift (for someone else... or to keep!). i adore cowls... they're cozy, thus very useful in these cold winter months, and they're also very pretty or cool. they add a nice bit of color and different-ness to that same sweater you've been wearing all week. they go with everything! these are a few of my favorites.  we've knitted, sewn, and crocheted cowls, and here's how we did them!

i made this knit cowl on a road trip through the mountains... so perhaps a thanksgiving road trip project?  :) i had not knit in a long time. this was the perfect project to get knitting again, since it's so simple. 
all you need is a pretty ball of yarn and the appropriate size of circular knitting needles. i chose a bulky wool. simply cast on enough to go around your neck (measure an existing cowl you like or measure loosely around your neck- look at the gauge of your yarn and figure out how many stitches you need to achieve the length you want) and knit and knit and knit... since you're using circular needles, you never need to do do anything other than knit your one stitch- you will be working it while it's already in a cowl shape. i did a garter stitch which is a very basic stitch that when repeated turns out pretty nice. when you feel like your cowl has enough length, simply bind off, weave in the loose ends and you're good to go!

jane:  this fabric cowl was made using some amazing wool/cotton liberty fabric.  i think i had 1/2 meter of it.  you do want a fabric that is 55-60" wide.  this is a super easy project, but one's logic gets tied into a knot figuring out how to sew things together.  :)  here's a tutorial that helps with the stitching order.  our cowl is simpler, because it only uses one fabric folded in half.  the wool in this fabric is not at all itchy- just soft and warm.  :)  this is the quickest cowl.

jo again:  (excuse my silly fan-girly dorkiness. we noticed the band peeking over my shoulder approving my cowl... heh heh. (: ) right now, this is probably my favorite cowl. it's super simple to create and turns out chunky and cute. 
this one is crocheted with a chunky yarn and the hook that goes with. chain a row as wide as you would prefer your cowl to be (i think mine was 17 stitches???). i crocheted mine with single crochet stitches through the front loop only. not only does front looping look and feel nice, but also it uses less yarn. crochet every row like this, and when you feel like it's long enough, feed your long end of yarn through the loop on your hook and pull it tight. don't cut it yet... since your cowl is a long flat rectangle, bring the two ends of your cowl together. you can either sew it up with a yarn needle and your loose thread, or you can crochet them together, using both layers of loops instead of just one (end the row by feeding the long piece of yarn through the loop and pulling it tight). weave in your ends and you're finished! in this cowl, i added a little bit of interest by twisting the cowl once before sewing it together. it lays a little differently in a way that i like.

these cowls would make great gifts for anyone on your list.  i hope this keeps you and the lucky recipients warm this winter! drop any questions for us!
xxx,
jo + jane

i know we still have thanksgiving this week and more than anything, i just want to focus on that and not skip ahead to christmas.  but, i realize that christmas becomes a sort of reaction, if i truly wait until after thanksgiving to think about it.  plus black friday has crept into thanksgiving anyway.  we best be prepared heart, soul, mind and wallet.  :)

each of us has a series of pictures we'd like to see come true, when we think of the perfect christmas. yet we realize that we will never have the "perfect" christmas.  the christmas story comes to mind.  :)  in the end, we will make the best of it and try not to miss the glow completely.  however, if we sit down and decide right now what we want our season to look like…set some goals and make a plan…well then maybe we can make some progress toward a truly lovely celebration of the gift that changed everything!  

since i started thinking about simplifying, christmas has shifted in my mind.  i truly want to focus on finding the joy of Christ's birth and basking in its glow as much as possible during this entire season.  with gifts finding their proper place as a small part of that celebration, i can focus on how we can find Jesus in all the chaos.  have i spent more time thinking about cookies and parties, decorations and advent calendars, gifts and more gifts, card and recipes…than of my dear Savior's birth.  y. e. s.

we've been giving a bit of gift inspiration here this week and it makes me think about how i want to address the gift giving and requesting part of our christmas celebration this year.  we do pretty well around here not wanting a lot of extra things.  this may be in part because we don't have tv and have stopped going to the mall just to hang out for the most part.  we talk about having less and its benefits.  we have a smallish house that looks cluttered quickly.  we try to make good food and exciting events our occasional treats.

and then christmas!  anticipating gifts is a huge part of the fun!  we start to wonder what we could ask for.  we come up with some things that we've liked, but haven't bought for ourselves.  we look at lists others have made on the internet.  we want a big reaction to what we get and give.  i've heard this "less" message over and over.  the hard part is actually getting my own mind wrapped around the idea of less and the thought of enjoying that fully.

bea and her family rented out their gorgeous home in gorgeous mill valley and used the money they made taking a trip to hawaii last year.  she and her husband give their boys a years worth of experiences- one thing each month that they haven't done before.  some experiences cost money, others are free.  i think this is spectacular!  however, we don't live in an exciting place…so don't think we'd make much vacation money on house rental.  :)  maybe someday we can afford a sunny, warm vacation though!  

gifts of experiences are wonderful to look forward to, and we have been embracing them!  we've gone to the ballet, symphony, ice-skating, concerts, and hockey games as gifts.  those gifts will not be forgotten.

what i like to do for material gifts is to find something that my recipient could use and would really like, but probably won't buy themselves...one or two really lovely gifts...not necessarily big or expensive gifts.  i also like to give consumables.  i want to find something that will become used every day and loved.  i want it to fit into this guideline:

"[as minimalists,] all of our things are our favorite things.  otherwise, they are in the way."  the minimalists

this might mean replacing a well-loved item that is worn out or updating something seemingly mundane (like bedding, winter coat, kitchen pot, pillow) with something that will be appreciated with every use.  this item may not have the wow factor at the moment, but the joy of it will be felt day after day rather than being forgotten.  for younger children, i loved finding that thing that they really loved playing with and adding a small piece to it.  jo loved playmobil, and just getting a small new box made all the rest new again!  julia loved schleich and the same principle applied.  books, journals and art supplies have been recurring gifts as well.  as the girls get older and don't read the same book over and over quite as much, we are relying on the library more and more.  we realize in every day life that a much smaller collection of things we love is better than a bigger collection of things we like.  i want christmas gifting to be an extension of our real life.

this is why we are bringing you gift ideas of things we use and appreciate every day.  i realize this is an odd blogging idea- usually you see the newest, most unique idea one can come up with (i like those too).  but we thought it'd be nice to see some time tested things we love, some we've had for years.  we 'd love to hear about some of your most loved items!  they'd make great gifts... and being thankful for what we have is just the best way to start this season!!  

love, 
jane :)

hello everyone!
two christmases ago, i decided to make a santa hat for myself. all of the store-bought hats felt so cheap and itchy and just sorta blah. when i couldn't find a santa hat pattern that was simple enough, i made up my own and here it is! it's a very simple crochet pattern that turns out very comfy.  make this for yourself or for someone you care about.  wear it often and spread some holiday cheer!  :)

this crochet pattern uses chain, single crochet, increases, and decreases. these stitches are super easy... anyone can learn them very quickly. if you're stuck, a youtube search will do the trick.  :) drop us a line if you have any questions!

you'll need...
9mm hook
red bulky yarn (i used hometown usa cincinnati red by lionbrand yarn)
white bulky yarn (i used wool-ease starlight by lionbrand yarn)
yarn needle
pompom maker (optional) 

abbreviations used:
ch: chain
sc: single crochet
flo: front loop only
blo: back loop only
rep: repeat



using red yarn: (front loops only until otherwise noted)

R1- Chain 2, 4 sc in 2nd ch (4)

R2- Sc 4 (4)


R3- *Sc 1, 1inc* Rep from *(6)

R4- Sc 6 (6)

R5- *Sc 2, 1 inc* Rep from * (8)

R6- Sc 8 (8)


R7- *Sc 3, 1 inc* Rep from * (10)

R8- Sc 10 (10)

R9- *Sc 4, 1 inc* Rep from * (12)

R10- Sc 12 (12)


R11- *Sc 5, 1 inc* Rep from * (14)

R12- Sc 14 (14)

R13- *Sc 6, 1 inc* Rep from * (16)

R14- Sc 16 (16)


R15- *Sc 7, 1 inc* Rep from * (18)

R16- Sc 18 (18)only Rep = Repeat

R17- *Sc 8, 1 inc* Rep from * (20)

R18- Sc 20 (20)


R19- *Sc 9, 1 inc* Rep from * (22)

R20- Sc 22 (22)

R21- *Sc 10, 1 inc* Rep from * (24)

R22- Sc 24 (24)


R23- * Sc 11, 1 inc* Rep from * (26)

R24- Sc 26 (26)

R25- *Sc 12, 1 inc* Rep from * (28)

R26- Sc 28 (28)


R27- *Sc 12, 1 inc* Rep from * (30)

R28- Sc 30 (30)

R29- * Sc 9, 1 inc* Rep from * (33)

R30-* Sc 10, 1 inc* Rep from * (36)

R31- *Sc 9, 1 inc* Rep from * (40)

R32- *Sc 9, 1 inc* Rep from * (44)

R33- *Sc 10, 1 inc* Rep from * (48)

R34- * Sc 7, 1 inc* Rep from * (54)

R35-38 Sc all (54)

change to white yarn

R39- *Sc 7, 1 dec* while alternating loops used, like so *Sc 4 FLO, Sc 4 BLO* Rep from *
  (48)


R40 to length desired- *Sc 4 FLO, Sc 4 BLO* Rep from * Weave in ends.

make pompom with white yearn and attach to the hat’s tip.



that's about it! this hat goes pretty quickly since the yarn is so bulky. hope you liked it, and if you have any questions, let us know! :)
jo

hello, this is julia! this snow globe would be an adorable gift for a little sister, brother, or girl friend.  you can use a small  plastic toy (maybe one you have already) and put it in a  glass jar, like from pickles or salsa.  we used a small baby food jar and super-glued a figurine to the top. then inside the jar, put glitter, distilled water and a few drops of glycerin (to keep the glitter from clumping).  you can find glycerin at the drug store.  we also super-glued the top on to keep it from leaking.  i keep my snow globe on my desk.

happy crafting!

from, julia

simple gifts make me happy!  i love gifts that are beautiful and useful.  i don't need a lot of things, and i don't want to add unnecessary items to someone else's life.  i also don't want there to be much waste from the gifts i give.  in that spirit, we thought we'd bring you a few simple ideas of things we've made and love to use. 

these necklaces are made from wood beads from the craft store that have been dyed to varying degrees in small amounts of dye.  they are strung on leather cord or single crocheted embroidery floss chain.  add a meaningful charm or additional beads.  simple as that.  it is fun to pick colors, but plain wood would be beautiful as well.  

it would be fun to wrap one of these in a little handmade paper box.  making these boxes from artwork or painting them for the occasion is lovely.  we also have a couple books from library book sales that we use to make boxes, envelopes, etc…one is a map book and one is full of colorful photos.  (i use this tutorial to make the boxes.)  they can be kept and used to organize or store other little items after they've served their purpose as wrapping…it's like two gifts in one!

happy crafting!

love, 
jane + jo + julia