[All images taken in Northern California.)

This postcard makes me laugh, even though I see it every single morning — it’s taped onto our coffee jar. (Note that this is one of the very rare times I will post an image on my blog without a link back to the source. I’m a firm believer in properly crediting the artist, as explained in Design*Sponge’s informative piece, How to Credit.)

Keep Calm and Drink Coffee via the Keep Calm Shop on Etsy

Ah yes, an absolute classic.

Image of Christina Holm-Sandok of Style-Architects via Glitter Girl 

(P.S. If that was me in the morning, the clothes would be Christmas flannel pants and a hoodie…and the dog would be a Papillon ;-)

Homemade Mocha Coconut Iced Coffee via How Sweet it Is 

When you click on the link you have to scroll way, way, way down to get to the decadent recipe for that coconut mocha. Now, who’s making me one tomorrow morning?!

“A morning without coffee is like sleep”, a print via Jan Skácelík

I don’t understand people who don’t drink coffee.

“Do you know how I feel?” coffee comic via Exploding Dog

I burst out laughing every time I read this comic. Because it’s ludicrous? No, because it’s absolutely and completely true, Chaaa’lie (said in my Lola voice.)

“I measure my life in coffee spoons”, a T.S. Elliot quote print via Vol. 25

This quote always reminds me of a snippet of lyrics from “Seasons of Love”, the only Broadway song I like.

“Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights
In cups of coffee…”

London Coffee via Green Kitchen Stories

Now, I’m off to bed so I can wake up and have my coffee!

I’ve been so blessed getting to know Andrea through Facebook and Twitter over the last few months, and was thrilled when she asked me to pen a guest post. So, you can find me on The Organic Bird today, talking a little about the ways God is using my daughter to teach me about being content.

Thank you, Andrea!

“I’m staring. It’s that time of the afternoon where all I want is another cup of coffee, but Aveline’s bedroom is right off the kitchen. She’s the world’s lightest sleeper; if I even think about that cup of coffee too loudly, I know she’ll hear me & wake up.

There is a pot of white beans simmering on the stove. I’ll add some sage and garlic in a bit. I’m not sure why I bought white beans. I nearly always cook black beans — black beans with onion, garlic, lime, jalapeño, and cilantro. Once upon a time, when I lived in my beautiful California, I added epazote, too. It grew wild around my front step.

But here, here in the land of my sojourn….” [continue reading my guest post on The Organic Bird blog]

//Comments are disabled here, so you can leave them on Andrea’s blog. :-)//

Aveline’s birthday yesterday was such a lot of fun! I can’t believe she’s a whole year old. We had a quiet little party for her, just Josiah and I, since our families are millions thousands of miles away — but it was joyous and beautiful and so full of laughter. (She even got to FaceTime and talk with both sets of grandparents!)

And can I just say I’m really happy with the way her feathered crown turned out? Even if the feathers did keep flopping over. I’m hoping to make a different birthday crown for her each year. My mom made us special birthday hats when we were little, and I thought it was the best thing ever.

What are your favorite birthday traditions — either from your childhood, or for your own children? I think it would be great to make a new handmade toy for her each birthday as well!

P.S. Here is the gluten-free chocolate cake recipe I used.

Words for what it felt like to hold her, outside of my body, for the very first time.

Words for what it felt like to look at her living, breathing soul.

But I don’t.

I still have no words — only awe,

only wonder,

only joy.

So, so much joy.

To God be the glory, great things He has done!

Today, this has mainly been my view — the back of a very quickly moving Aveline. It’s been a “part of” kind of day.

Part of the laundry folded.

Part of an article for Babiekins Magazine written.

Part of Aveline’s birthday crown made.

Part of the bathroom cleaned.

But that’s ok. It’s been a day full of life, full of laughter, full of joy, full of peace.

I wouldn’t trade my position now with any one.

I love being a mama. I couldn’t think of a better gift in the world than my little, hilarious, laughing miracle.

I love winter scenes like this one, which at first glace look as though they’ve been shot in black and white.  Such an achingly beautiful stand of birch trees.

via Helt Enklet

The pure light in this next image is so clean and beautiful, a bright contrast to the cloudy, grey day above. Plus, I was especially attracted to this photograph because of the colors — mustard (of course!) against white.

via moa og kaffekoppen

Want to see more pretty things? I don’t blame you…two images barely whets your appetite for inspiration! ;)

This is the cozy view through our bedroom door, looking into the living room. I took this the first night we were back in Florida after Christmas break.

I think I’d like to keep these lights up forever. It always seems so sad and dark in January when the lights are packed away.

The top of my dresser –the amazing London grid art is from TexturedINK on Etsy (and I won it via a giveaway on the Happy Interior Blog!) I really need to pick up some frames. I’ll have to post some additional photos once I get the art hung properly.

I mean, really, is there anything better than salsa? I’ve been eating it with every meal lately.

I worked on this little Japanese-inspired creature over the weekend. Aveline will get this particular one for her first birthday (which is on the 19th. THIS MONTH. Ahhhhh!), and I’ll list subsequent ones in the Oaxacaborn shop. (Did you see the kawaii plush I made her for Christmas?)

This morning’s rare and heart-breakingly beautiful fog made me miss the California coast something awful. Someday, someday.

And oh yes, last by not least, my new Nakate Project beads. I love that purchasing these beautiful necklaces helps women in Uganda eat properly, put a roof over their heads, send their children to school, and start small businesses. (P.S. Right now the ENTIRE Nakate store is 50% off when you use the code NEWYEARSALE.)

Full disclosure: Yes, I am the Systems Administrator for Nakate, but I’m not being compensated in any way for my posts about them. I talk about Nakate often because it’s important to me, not because I have to. :)

We’ve come back, on a jet plane, from our magical snowy Christmas in the north! And I do mean “north”. We spent the first part of Christmas vacation in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, which is literally as far north as you can go without being in Canada. Purdy neat dere, eh?

My dad’s brother has an amazing cabin there, situated right on a river, which is where we stayed. My youngest brother and cousins got the tree out of the surrounding forest just before we arrived. The river had even frozen evenly enough to make a perfect skating rink. And did I mention it snowed every single day?

Oh, I wish I were sitting by the stone fireplace right now, drinking bottomless cups of coffee. I already miss my family terribly, and we’ve only been back in Florida for a couple days.

Merry Christmas, friends! He was born so we could live.

“One time of the year
the new-born child
is everywhere,
planted in madonnas’ arms
hay mows, stables
in palaces or farms,
or quaintly, under snowed gables,
gothic angular or baroque plump,
naked or elaborately swathed,
encircled by Della Robia wreaths,
garnished with whimsical
partridges and pears,
drummers and drums,
lit by oversize stars,
partnered with lambs,
peace doves, sugar plums,
bells, plastic camels in sets of three
as if these were what we need
for eternity.

But Jesus the Man is not to be seen.
We are too wary, these days,
of beards and sandalled feet.

Yet if we celebrate, let it be
that he
has invaded our lives with purpose,
striding over our picturesque traditions,
our shallow sentiment,
overturning our cash registers,
wielding his peace like a sword,
rescuing us into reality
demanding much more
than the milk and the softness
and the mothers warmth
of the baby in the storefront creche,
(only the Man would ask
all, of each of us)
reaching out
always, urgently, with strong
effective love
(only the Man would give
his life and live
again for love of us).

Oh come, let us adore him-
Christ–the Lord.”
-Lucy Shaw

Thank you so much to our dear friends for this wonderful little shirt! I’m so excited it finally fits her. How fun to see my daughter wearing something that represents where I was born!

But back to the creature. I went on a cute and pink overload making this (my first one ever), and you know what? I love it.

I could never have made these dreams come true, not on my own. But you know, don’t you, that the Giver of All Good Things takes these threads, one by one, and gently untangles them. He weaves each shining thread into my life-filled hours, weaving in and out, always with purpose, always with design, always toward a beautiful end, until I’m walking on a tapestry I didn’t even realize was there.

Oh, Father God, Creator, let my eyes always be open to Your beauty.

It’s been a while since I shared any crochet project here other than my owl hats. But, I’ve been working on this blanket for a while now, and finally finished it up and mailed it off last week. It’s worked in granny stripes, but I think the mixed textures and varying stripe width  gives it a more modern look than you’d expect.

I’m tossing around the idea of selling similar baby blankets in 2012. I haven’t really done any market research yet to determine what would be most likely to sell, though, and I would still have to work out a price point.

I’ve got another striped wool blanket in progress — this time in bold solid colors — but we’ll see if it ends up in Aveline’s room or in the shop. ;-)

In 2012, the shop will also see the addition of plush / stuffed creatures! Super exciting, right? I’ve been so inspired by these plush/softies. I’m making a crochet and felt monster for Aveline, so I’ll post photos of that in the near future as well (although probably not until after Christmas, unless someone puts magical elf sprinkles in my coffee before then).

What do you guys think? Is there is something specific you’d like to see in the shop in 2012?