With tomatoes and fresh herbs being gorgeous and cheap at the farmer’s market right now, I’ve been making this dish quite a lot lately.  The inspiration came from Jamie’s Dinners by Jamie Oliver, which The Daddy Monkey gave me for my birthday.  I’m sure his reasons for giving me a cookbook filled with gorgeous food [...]

The Daddy Monkey gave me the most gorgeous vintage sewing box for Mother’s Day this year.  I love it so much.  Much better than the messy basket-with-everything-shoved-in-it system.  Ahem. Have I mentioned before that he is awesome?  He is.

And what better to put in the box, than two great thrifted sewing stashes? I found the [...]

The Monkey Family is going to NYC this summer!  I have been sewing like crazy the last few weeks, trying to make some new clothes to bring.

I thought I might finish this dress this weekend because I had some alone sewing time.  All I wanted was a classic summer sun dress.  And I really love [...]

I know I’m way late on this, but I am totally in love with Natalie Chanin, and her company, Alabama Chanin.  The Daddy Monkey gave me The Alabama Stitch Book for my birthday, and it is such a beautiful and inspiring book.  I love the fact that she left New York City, and then Europe, [...]

I finished the navy swimsuit!  It took a bit longer than expected, but don’t all sewing projects?  I guess thirteen days is not too bad for a swimsuit.
I am really in love with it, and can’t wait to start living in it at the beach this summer. The Daddy Monkey asked if I was going [...]

Playing along with Amanda today.  In her words: {this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week.  A simple, special, extraordinary moment.  A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Last year’s post-partum swimming suit doesn’t fit anymore!  Hooray!  I’m really loving this year’s high-waisted swimming suits for obvious reasons, and since all my old swimming suits are either completely worn out or too big, I decided it was time to make another one.  It’s been years, but I still have my reliable old pattern [...]

Occasionally I drool over the Singer Featherweights on Ebay.  How could I not, when I love to sew, and the Featherweight is considered one the the best sewing machines ever made?  But how can I justify it when I already have a working sewing machine?
Recently I walked into my friend T’s house and there sat [...]

Hyacinths and glass rabbit.

Bunny and wool felted egg with marble egg.  My first ever attempt at felting, using Nicole’s tutorial at Frontier Dreams.  You can see they came out a bit too thick but they get the job done!

The wooden ewe and lamb the Daddy and I made for the Candlemas table.

Bird, nest, and wheatgrass.
We’ll [...]